The Godslaying Shinobi
by LupineKing
Summary: The war is over. Naruto now finds himself in a strange new world filled with magic, Heretic gods, knights, mages and beautiful girls. He soon ends up making choices that lead to him carving out a spot for himself as the seventh and newest campione. His life is soon filled with battle, adventure and perhaps even the love and acknowledgement he missed out on in his old world.
1. This was how it all began

**Chapter One: This was how it all began**

**Disclaimer:** I am fully aware of the fact that I do not own Naruto or Campione. Anything the original creators and owners came up with and put into the series before I began writing this fanfic belongs to them I however own whatever plotlines, techniques, OCs, yada … yada I put into this fanfic.

'_**Demonic/boss thoughts'**_

"**Demonic/boss speech"**

'_Normal thoughts'_

"Normal speech"

**Chapter One: This was how it all began**

Naruto stood tall on the battle field exhausted, his reserves nearly completely drained. He looked over the field. There had been moments when he had felt that the battle was lost especially when his body had originally begun to feel the effects of his original Sealed Hatred Mode.**(1)** It had been bad, really bad. The human body was not meant to run on only yang chakra.** (2)** The yin and yang chakra balanced each other and removed the negative effects associated with the other. That was why the body instinctively mixed both yang and yin chakra in the chakra vessels before letting it into the rest of the body. Pure yang running rampart in the body did more harm than good. Add that to the fact that humans weren't meant to handle a biju's chakra and the only reason he was able to do so with minor problems was because he was a jinchūriki. Now think on this, if normal human yang chakra was bad for you how more less the yang chakra of a biju. Chakra that was running through your body because of a technique you had created that intentionally purified and concentrated the overly potent yang chakra of the Kyuubi before letting loose in your body.

To cut it short it wasn't long before Naruto was spitting blood. He kept that hidden form the rest of the people on the battle field. He knew that if they found out Tsunade and the others would make him quit using the technique. They might even drag him of the battlefield so that they could ascertain the damage he had received from using it before trying to fix it somehow. He couldn't let that happen. Not because of anything else but the fact that they needed this technique. He had seen how the war was progressing before he stepped in. He had also seen how the technique had turned the tide of the battle. He had saved hundreds if not thousands of lives with the technique and if it cost him his life then so be it. He was alright with dying so long as it let him save those precious to him. So he soldiered on trying to make sure the war was won before his life ended.

At least that was the original plan. The coming of the resurrected kages ruined that plan. His father had noticed the technique and deciphering its purpose quickly replicated it showing him where the Kyuubi's yin half had gone. As the battle progressed he monitored his father from the corners of his vision hoping that his father's state as product of the Edo Tensei would prevent him from realizing the true extent of the technique. It was not so. As the battle wore on he noticed the Yondaime stumble and vomit blood when he had received no attack. This shocked everyone so much that for eight full seconds no one moved not even Obito and Madara. He noticed the Yondaime's eyes widen in realization and was even prepared when his father's eyes swung over to focus on him. In a flash yellow Naruto found himself in a medical tent on the sidelines with his father.

The man immediately demanded that he deactivate his Sealed Hatred Mode. He did so. Then his father asked if he was feeling any side effects. He swiftly made it known to his father, Tsunade and all the people clamoring around him that he was going back onto the battlefield and nothing they could do would stop him. He spoke to them about the thousands that had died since the war began and made it clear to them that there was no way he was going to sit still as others died and that if he died in the process then so be it. However he would be making sure that he didn't die alone. He would make sure to take Madara and Obito with him. All he asked of them was that they believe in him. His speech touched them and they agreed to let him back on the battlefield. His father however only let him out on one condition.

**************************************Flashback***** **************************************

Naruto knelt there his jacket off and his back bare. There were seals drawn onto his back designed to help with what was to come. His father stepped behind him and activated his own Sealed Hatred Mode. Then placing his hands on Naruto's back he slowly pushed the chakra into Naruto. This was the condition he insisted that Naruto fulfill before he was let back into the battle. He theorized that since Naruto's problem was caused by him having only the yang half of the Kyuubi he should be able to at least stabilize Naruto's Sealed Hatred Mode by infusing him with as much yin chakra as he could. He had chosen doing so in this mode because of the control it provided over the chakra in question. Despite knowing what he was doing he still had a bad feeling about the process. This was with good reason. What if the chakra did not stabilize? What if what he had planned caused more harm than good? How could he be sure that this would even solve the problem? They were so many reasons why he should not follow through with the plan but he had no choice not if he wanted them to win the battle ahead. Nevertheless the Yondaime felt as if he was sacrificing his son all over again.

Despite his calm demeanor upon re-entering the living world he had actually been disturbed and not a little apprehensive. It had been his choice to sacrifice his son in the first place. He had made the decision to turn his son into a jinchūriki and thus he was the reason why his son had suffered for all those years. Yes he knew just what his son had gone through because of the misplaced faith he had inn the people of Konoha. '_No, not the people of Konoha', _he realized. They had simply been ignorant of what was actually happening under their noses. They hadn't known who Naruto was or even what a jinchūriki really was and misinterpreted it to mean Naruto was the Kyuubi. The ones who he was sorry for trusting where his beloved sensei and his predecessor and mentor the Sandaime. They were the ones he had entrusted the task of protecting Naruto. They were the ones who had failed him. Jiraiya by never being there for his son and Hiruzen for revealing Naruto's status to the village knowing full well that the main thing that protected Kushina from the more close minded citizens of the village was the fact that knowledge of her condition had been handled on a strict need to know basis.

Hiruzen had exposed his son to the village letting everyone know of what he held and to top it off he never took the time to properly explain to the populace what a jinchūriki was. He simply told them that the Kyuubi had been placed in Naruto. Imagine that, he told civilians with absolutely no knowledge of fuinjutsu that the Kyuubi had** 'been put into'** Naruto and that there was nothing to fear. How were they expected not to panic and come up with the theories they did? And Hiruzen had gall to simply put a gag order on the discussion of anything related to the Kyuubi and Naruto's status as if that would solve anything. He cleared his mind of all these things as he continued with the procedure. These were things he had already made up his mind to discuss with his predecessor later. Right now he had to attend to his son. He continued to force chakra into his son only now nothing the way Naruto's muscles twitched and trembled, the sweat dripping from his form. He admired his son's endurance feeling proud of how his son had handled the situation thus far. The pent up scream that Naruto let loose that very moment nearly made him retract that statement.

Naruto however had different things running through his mind. From the moment his father touched him he felt his back light up as if on fire. He barely held his initial yell in. He felt his already stressed chakra system react as if molten iron had been poured into it. The Kyuubi assured him that it was doing its best to receive the influx of chakra and direct it into his seal instead of letting it loose in its body. Things began to calm down until disaster just had to strike. This is Uzumaki Naruto we are talking about after all it should have been expected. The problem like all the ones in the boy's life was relatively simple. The Kyuubi was hard at work directing the yin chakra into the seal making sure to keep it from the organs whilst keeping Naruto's chakra vessels from bursting. He was also busy trying to send out slivers of the yin chakra he was regaining into Naruto's body to stabilize whatever yang chakra still in the boy's system. Many people did not know how Naruto's regeneration really worked. In truth what happened was based on his Uzumaki abilities. His Uzumaki blood gave Naruto incredible endurance and recovery. The part the Kyuubi played was simple. He used his more potent chakra to boost the Uzumaki abilities that protected the boy. That was what was behind Naruto's awe inspiring recovery rate.** (3)** Thus the Kyuubi did not really heal Naruto as much as he hyper charged what was already there.

There was a major down to this though. Since the ability was not instinctive it required conscious thought. The Kyuubi was thus extremely occupied. Between controlling and supervising Naruto's regeneration as well as controlling and storing the new yin chakra it was no wonder the Kyuubi nearly missed what was happening. Earlier in the battle, just before the other biju were fused to recreate the Juubi they did something they had never done before they bequeathed some of their power and chakra to his host. He had collected that chakra and compressed it into a glowing multicolored ball of raw power that he kept beside him. He and Naruto had resolved to use that only as a last resort. Unfortunately with his mind so preoccupied with everything happening around him he forgot about the ball of chakra. He went about collecting the yin chakra intent on reabsorbing it after he collected it all. It wasn't smart to do everything at once after all.

In his haste to be done quickly he didn't notice when the yin chakra and the ball of biju chakra first came into contact. In fact he only noticed what was going on when they began to react to each other and fuse. He quickly abandoned all other activities to focus on what was happening beside him.

'_What's wrong Kurama?' _Naruto asked through their telepathic link.

'_**I…I'm not sure. The yin chakra is reacting with the chakra that the other bijū gave us. I can't seem to stop it'**__, _Kurama answered.

By abandoning his control of the other matters the Kyuubi had actually caused Naruto's body to worsen. First his chakra vessels started bursting then the pain hit so intense that Naruto was actually frozen his body wasn't sure whether to scream in pain or to curl up in pain.

'_What is happening?'_ he yelled at his biju.

'_**It is the new chakra. It has taken the yin chakra is beginning to react with me as well',**_came the answer.

'_What? How is that possible?'_

'_**Naruto…'**_Kurama began his voice seemed oddly resigned alerting Naruto to the fact that he was probably not going to like whatever came next._**'I'm afraid I cannot control the fusion rate'**__._

Naruto knew that was bad even without being told how_. _

'_**I am doing the best I can but with the way the new chakra is latching on to what I have left I'm afraid there is nothing I can do. The best I can hope for is that it all stabilizes after the initial fusion',**_the biju continued.

Naruto was conflicted. He couldn't quite get what Kurama was driving at but whatever it was it was good.

'_**Kit, with the way things are going I will be fusing with the chakra shortly',**_the Kyuubi said his voice sad.

Naruto ground his teeth against the pain enough to ask,_ 'But you will be alright, right?'_

'_**Most likely, I will be fine after the chakra finally stabilizes but you won't'**_

Naruto was so flabbergasted that his next question was actually unvoiced.

'_**I am afraid that the rate at which the chakra is spinning out of control there is nothing we can do pretty soon all that will be left will be a five mile wide crater where we stand after that the chakra will then coalesce and stabilize and I will reform',**_Kurama told him his regret ringing clear in his voice.

Naruto was completely confused, he couldn't believe it. After all that he had been through, all that he had accomplished this was how it was going to end. Then he remembered what the Kyuubi said. Everything within five miles of him would be taken along with him. He couldn't let that happen. He struggled to open his mouth to warn the people around him. The pain was so intense he couldn't even concentrate and his father was still pouring concentrated yin chakra into him worsening the situation.

Despairing, his now feeble mind began to wander thinking about all the deaths he had witnessed he wondered how the friends and relatives of the people slain were going to react to the news. The faces of all the people had failed to save flashed before him adding to his anguish and pain. He remembered the friends who had fallen; Neji who had died protecting him his remains actually sealed in a scroll in his pocket, Shikaku, Jiraiya, Gai who expired from overuse of the eight gates, Itachi and Nagato who had sacrificed themselves so he could continue and all the others. His resolve hardened. He couldn't let himself fall now. Not when he had promised that he would succeed that he would forge on and win even at the cost of his own life.

The Kyuubi just sat there shocked beyond belief as he witnessed one of the greatest miracles since his birth. He watched as with pure will power alone a screaming Naruto begun to calm and stabilize the turbulent chakra swirling within him. It was something he would never have believed possible. He could literally feel the chakra calming down and fusing with him as Naruto yelled out his defiance.

In the real world a sudden release of chakra blew the Yondaime away from his son as Naruto screamed. That burst of raw chakra also blew away the tent allowing him to see what was headed their way. Coming towards them was a tailed beast blast large enough to make the Kyuubi feel in adequate. The blast came from none other Obito and it was full of the Juubi's chaotic energy. The Yondaime could only stare at it in shock knowing that there was no way that anyone could get away in time and that there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. At least that was what he thought until Naruto glanced up.

Naruto heard the screams of terror and managed to force his eyes open. Immediately he wished he hadn't. All he could see was a giant bijūdama coming towards him. The shock of it nearly made him lose control of the chakra he was busy stabilizing._ 'No, No, No', _was the only thought that ran through his now, not when he was just regaining control of the situation. The energies within him kept swirling threatening to spiral out of control once more as he watched the giant blast of chakra come closer. He heard his father gasp but he paid him no mind. Caught between the urge to run and the urge face it he suddenly felt a power he had never felt before rush through him. Without a thought and wasting no time he raised his hands choosing to trust his instincts. Overcome by instinct he yelled,"Blocking Technique Absorption Seal". A transparent barrier appeared in front of the bijudama protecting the army. Everyone could only watch in shock as the gigantic blast of chakra was absorbed into Naruto's body.

As for Naruto he simply stood there for a few seconds as the tailed beast ball was sucked into his body. When it was over he lit up like a signal light. Chakra spun out of him, its sheer intensity and mass pushing everything around him back. It spiraled into the sky before rushing back down into his body. When the light show was over the assembled shinobi were treated to the site of a kneeling Naruto. All was quiet for a few seconds before Naruto lit up in again only this time he was his Sealed Hatred Mode. The power wafting of him however so powerful it was like comparing his former self with the one he had displayed in the war thus far. The assembled forces could only watch in awe as he stood up. The yellow flames that covered his body were now a full bodied gold. The power inherent was more than anyone could hope to match. The life energy coming off him actually made bright green grass burst out of the battle scared dirt below him. The greatest change however came from his eyes. Instead of his normal blue orbs his eyes now depicted something that sent quite a few shinobi scurrying back despite the fact that he was on their side. His eyes displayed the rinnegan and not just any rinnegan the same eyes as the Juubi itself, tomoe and all.

From there things were blurred till they got to where they were now. With his new power and dōjutsu one would think that Naruto took charge of the battle. That person would be forgetting that Obito was now the jinchūriki of the Juubi and that he had Madara who was perhaps the most skilled Uchiha in history as his partner. Anyway bottom line was with the help of the Hokages Naruto won. His new dōjutsu was just plain awesome. After all it was the dōjutsu that birthed all other dōjutsu, even Nagato's rinnegan.

************************************Flashback End***************************************

That was why he was the one left standing on the battlefield, looking down at Obito. Madara was gone and the Juubi had been safely removed from Obito. Naruto crouched trying to catch a breath as he watched Obito struggle for his last. The defeated Uchiha couldn't help but scream at the heavens in anguish even as he cursed our young blonde.

"Why?" he asked. His voice was strained from all his yelling. "Why won't you just let me bring peace to the world? I could have created a world without fighting, without war, without conflict. It would have been perfect".

Naruto ignored him. They had discussed the matter over and over during their long battle and he had come to see that the Uchiha like the others in his family was completely fixated on what he thought was right and completely refused to listen or believe in anything else much like Sasuke had been concerning his revenge. He tried to stand and walk away. The battle was won there was no need for him to remain there with the talking corpse. In doing so he made the mistake of turning his back on his opponent who wasn't dead yet only dying.

"You think you've won?" he heard the crazed Uchiha screech behind him. "Think again"

Naruto turned knowing immediately that something was wrong. The action saved him from getting ripped open by a last ditch Kamui. However he was still too close to escape. Briefly he wondered where the Uchiha scrounged up the power to do it because the Kamui was incredibly powerful and massive fueled as it was by the last bit of will and power of a dying man. He was halfway way through when he remembered that killing the Uchiha would stop the technique. His left hand unfortunately had already gone into the vortex so he tried something harebrained. He fixed his eyes on his enemy yelling, "Amaterasu". The principle behind it was simple. He had been able to wrest one of Madara's Amaterasu blasts away from him during the battle and extinguish it using his dōjutsu. Add that to the fact that his dōjutsu was the parent of the sharingan he figured that it would be possible to use that technique.

The good news was it worked. Obito was immediately covered in jet black flames. The bad news was that without Obito to fuel the attack the rift opened by his Kamui it begun to collapse and it did so quickly. Considering the fact that the only parts of Naruto outside of the rift were his head and right arm that was really bad news. Rather than let his head and arm be torn off he swiftly pulled them into the rapidly closing rift. Once in he stared at the collapsing rift that was now the size of a small melon and completely ignoring the interior of Obito's pocket dimension he quickly used Kamui on the closing rift hoping to open it again. It was here that he realized the folly of using the Amaterasu before. The technique had been very chakra draining especially since he had been so exhausted before and that fact that he had never used it before. He now had no chakra with which to perform the technique. As a matter of fact his unsuccessful Kamui managed to drain so much of his remaining chakra that he could feel chakra depletion setting in.

The rift was still closing and Naruto quickly begun to panic. He reached deep within himself and brought forth his new Sealed Hatred Mode once again. His body protested when the technique activated since the stress of the technique was murder on his tired body. He ignored it and focused instead on the now rice ball sized dimensional rift in front of him and with a cry of, "Kamui" he poured all his remaining power into the technique that promised his salvation. The rift was pretty much blasted open and Naruto forced his body through it his sight already darkening as he lost consciousness. The last thing he saw was what looked like a tornado slamming into what looked like buildings.

**Elsewhere long before the ensuing confusion**

Comparing northern and southern Italy, their inhabitants had completely different temperaments. Of course, this was just a general stereotype. Due to the north being rich and urbanized while the south was relatively poor, people described those in the south as more modest and friendly. Widely known around the world as a center of various areas such as culture, economy, fashion and sports, Milan was a metropolis that exemplified the north. And anyone acquainted with Erica Blandelli would know that she was the girl who embodied the essence of Milan.

The young mistress of the prestigious house of Blandelli where all previous generations were Milanese. Beautiful and noble, she grew up with a strict upbringing starting from an early age, and was full of wit and talent. The beautiful young lady glamorous as a blooming rose.

"Of course, my outstanding beauty is undeniable—"

Erica smiled elegantly. However, her smiling face bore no resemblance to a pathetic flower; rather, a more apt description would be a she-leopard or a lioness. The proud and powerful queen of the beasts, that was how her assertive appearance was best described.

"But like the chocolate on a cake, there are many important elements adorning my being, but these alone cannot represent my complete self—so for this matter, I must decline, Uncle."

"If you put it that way, I have no choice but to consent, Erica."

The one who replied with a wry smile was her only relative, her paternal uncle. Paolo Blandelli, whose figure could be compared to the Statue of David, even though he was pushing forty, he still possessed the youthful vigor of a young man, a face like a perfectly crafted sculpture, and an intellectual and noble presence. And his perfect body was steeled through and through - as fitting for his title as the top knight.

Italy's strongest knight was the "King of Swords"—Salvatore Doni. But the highest ranking knight was Paolo Blandelli. There was no doubt about this fact, though the uncle humbly denied it, while the other person in question, Salvatore admitted it freely with a smile.

"I am flattered... But to make me a role model, who is the idiot who came up with this? I have no need to publicize my beauty, for there is no meaning in a pleasing exterior alone. External beauty has to be complemented by ability and insight from within. That is the true Erica Blandelli."

"I knew you would refuse like that, which is why I came to talk to you first. I don't think it's a foolish thing."

Smiling wryly as he faced Erica, the two of them were currently in a corner of a certain coffee shop. They were family and originally lived together in the Blandelli residence. Preoccupied with official affairs, the uncle had been away from home for many weeks, so they had not seen each other until now. Suddenly communicating "it's been so long", they decided to meet here—

"Uncle, let's talk about something more meaningful, have you heard about the incident at Sardinia?"

"Yes, it seems to be real, the chance of a [Heretic God] descending seems likely. Our leader Sir Salvatore is in the middle of his expedition to South America and will take time to return, so it would be best to gather intelligence first, and investigate the local situation."

"Then please assign me reconnaissance duties. Uncle—No, Commander-in-Chief Blandelli of the [Copper Black Cross], the knight Erica Blandelli hereby petitions."

The Knights Templar organization had dominated Europe in the Middle Ages. As the descendants of knights, the sons of god, as well as magi who served the demonic deity Baphomet, this dual origin was the true identity of Erica and the rest of her order. Though there were numerous magic associations which inherited the secret rites of the Templar Knights, the [Copper Black Cross], with its headquarters in Milan, was one of the strongest associations.

Unsettling incidents were occurring at Sardinia at the south of Italy. This report arrived at the [Copper Black Cross] two days ago, brought by one of their members who happened to be there. This information likely had not spread to the vast majority of magic associations in Italy. This is what gave Erica the idea of petitioning to be sent there. However, Uncle Paolo was shaking his head with a serious expression.

"You are my precious—a genius child who will one day stand at the top of the magic association. I do admit that is my personal wish. Anyway, you probably don't have any prior experience with gods, right?"

"Yes that is correct. Precisely because I have none, I want to gather experience this time." Erica boasted without tact. Absolute confidence in her ability was the root of that kind of attitude. The martial arts personally taught by her uncle from a young age, as well as all sorts of magic inherited from the lineages of the Templar Knights from ancient Rome to medieval Europe. There were very few people who could gain mastery in all these difficult techniques by the age of fifteen like Erica. In Italy, Liliana Kranjcar, also from Milan, was the only rival of the same age that Erica recognized.

"In the past, you allied with Princess Alice, ruler of the Witenagemot, to jointly oppose the Black Prince Alec. In recognition of your successes, you were bestowed the title of [Diavolo Rosso]. If I were to inherit my esteemed uncle's title, then I have a need to display my outstanding talents."

"I was already twenty-five years old back then, ten years older than your current age. Don't be hasty, there is still much for you to learn. If you want to approach gods, it's not too late to do so in a few years' time." Possessing great foresight, the uncle tried to dissuade his niece with sincerity, but Erica did not accept.

"It would be too late. If I don't earn it now, the title of [Diavolo Rosso] that my esteemed uncle guards will be inherited by that crude and lowly Gennaro. I definitely do not wish to see the noble title of the [Copper Black Cross]'s leader fall into the hands of that kind of man."

[Diavolo Rosso] was the title earned by Paolo Blandelli almost twenty years ago. This was a title of honor possessed by the knight that represented the [Copper Black Cross] to outside parties. However, three months ago, her uncle had to relinquish the title due to finally ascending to the office of commander-in-chief. It was forbidden to hold both titles of top knight and commander-in-chief, in other words, Paolo Blandelli has now retired from the ranks of knights in service.

Though Erica was known as a prodigy, she still lacked experience. Neither her achievements nor her reputation were enough to inherit the title. However, it would be different story if she earned accolades in the face of the greatest disasters appearing in this world—[Heretic Gods].

"...Erica, could you be intending to become a Campione?"

"I am not that full of myself. Of course, if there was a chance, I don't mind becoming someone like Sir Salvatore Doni, but that's just wishful thinking... However, I do have some ideas on how to seal a god's existence or suppress them."

"Really! If you say so, then surely you have made preparations!"

Erica nodded in a matter-of-fact manner at her uncle.

"I knew such a day would come, so I've been working hard at studying the Golgotha spell words and summoning ritual. If possible, I wish to display them right now."

"Mastering the holy spear of prayer and lamentation at such an age, what a scary little brat." Sighing as he spoke, the uncle's facial expression changed. It was now the face of the severe commander-in-chief of the fearsome organization of the crimson knights.

"Fine, Erica. Go forth to the land of danger. Displaying courage and might is a knight's duty. Once the words have been spoken, you must absolutely complete this challenge. Do you understand?"

"Affirmative. Erica Blandelli will now set forth for Sardinia to investigate and uncover the true identity of the [Heretic God] appearing there. I will try my utmost to seal this god and restore peace to the island. Await my good news."

The uncle nodded lightly at the respectful answer of the niece.

"Looks like, being born in this peaceful era, you sure have it rough. I really hope you will learn the difference between courage and lack of forethought. I pray that you will possess trusted friends and companions to walk along the knight's path together. I also wish your journey a success, and pray that you can give me peace of mind."

"Oh my, esteemed uncle, are you treating me as Hannibal?" Erica asked smiling.

Once upon a time, there was a famed general of Carthage who defeated the Roman Republic and marched into Italy. As the greatest ancient military tactician, he was praised by the famous Roman general Scipio before a decisive battle. Scipio's words were 'being born in this peaceful era, you sure have it rough.' In the ensuing Battle of Zama, the world class tactician general was finally defeated.

"Compared to the loser Hannibal, I fancy I am more like the victor Scipio—"

"This will be determined at the time when you meet the [Heretic God]. Then I shall depart first, and pray for the day we meet again after your survival." Saying this, Uncle Paolo rose from his seat, and left before Erica's eyes.

**Later**

Erica looked at the town of Barumini from her vantage point. A contact had informed her that there was a lot of magical power building up in the city and so she had come to check it out. It appeared that she was right to come. In the distance she could see something that looked like a rampaging bull. It was huge with horns the size of steel girders. Combating the bull was a tornado. The two seemed to have reached some sort of stalemate since the bull seemed to be finding it hard to fight against the bull effectively.

The battle toppled buildings and created massive trenches in the streets. But Erica ignored this as she rushed towards the carnage. It was obvious from her observation that the bull was some sort of divine beast. The tornado however was another story. She rushed forward using her [Leap] technique to make her body lighter. Soon she was running at full speed skipping lightly over all obstacles in her path. She wanted to get close enough to identify the wind deity.

The battle did not seem like it will continue much longer. The tornado only seemed to be growing stronger as time went on. Pretty soon it was clear why livestock were usually the worst casualties in the face of such windstorms. The swirling winds eventually cut through the bull's tough hide and eviscerated it. It broke apart into dust that was collected and absorbed by the tornado. Leisurely the tornado began to slow down making Erica push herself harder as she struggled to reach there before the winds dispersed.

That was when it happened. Something so great and surprising that even the wind deity paused slightly to watch. A hole appeared in the sky. It wasn't even a hole as much as a tear in the air twice the size of a man. Out of the hole fell a red cloaked object. The object fell to the ground at high speeds and Erica was sure it would have crashed into the ground and destroyed itself had the slowly tornado not caught it. She watched stupefied as the now slow moving winds gently brought the figure which she now recognized to be a person to the ground. She rushed there immediately intent on witnessing whatever was happening.

When she got there she saw a youth kneeling next to a body seeming checking for life signs. Behind this youth was what was left of the tornado. It was so small and weak that she hesitated to even call it a dust devil. Despite her initial feeling on the subject Erica rushed forward intent on helping the two figures. It was her job as a knight after all. She was honor bound to get them out of harm's way especially when one considered that whatever Heretic god that caused this mess could still be around.

Thus she rushed to the downed one's side. He was blond and looked to be between 15 to 16 years of age. He also wore clothes that made it look like he had just walked out of a war zone. His clothes and person were also splattered liberally with blood. The boy was smudged with blood, dirt and who knew what else. He also stank of sweat and blood. He wore tattered jumpsuit bottoms but no shirt. This allowed his belly to be seen.

Erica blushed. This had to be one of the fittest young men she had ever seen. His muscles looked tight, firm and strong; the type only gotten through intense training. However they were not huge and bulging. Rather they were thin and sleek and fitted onto his frame in a way that clearly showed that he was built for speed, not power. As she stared at his abs Erica noticed what looked like a tattoo. It spiraled from his navel and had strange symbols written on it. Looking at his face only made her blush deeper the boy was very handsome. His face also had a feral quality to it thanks to the six whisker marks that adorned it. All in all he made for a very impressive package. Granted it was a package that hadn't been handled properly and thus appeared sullied.

Erica shook her head and glanced up looking to ask the other boy whether he needed help only to find no one there. Realizing that he had disappeared whilst she had been ogling the one that was passed out before her she blushed in embarrassment. She couldn't believe she let herself get so distracted because of one boy. Sure he was attractive but definitely not enough to cause her to forget her duty. She quickly gathered him up and carried him away with her strength. All the while wondering what had happened to the other one. Choosing to focus on getting the one in her arms to safety she put all other thoughts out of her mind knowing that she would have all time she required to sort out the information she had gained that day and that she had a new lead. One that promised lots of answered and merited even more questions.

**AND THAT'S A WRAP PEOPLE. REMEMBER TO KEEP READING, ENJOY WHAT YOU READ AND REVIEW**

**Author's Rants**

** 1.** I know the real name of the technique is Nine-Tails Chakra Mode. However I don't like that name since I don't think it really differentiates between Naruto's initial biju cloak and the one he has now. They are all chakra cloaks created from the Nine-Tails chakra after all so I believe something other the words Nine-Tails that properly set them apart would be better. The new form though is the product of Naruto's new Torii base seal. It allows him access to the Kyuubi's chakra but keeps the Kyuubi's negative emotions from influencing him. This is what prevents him from losing control like he was wont to do under the effects of his former Nine-Tails fox cloak. That is why I prefer the name Sealed Hatred Mode over the official since better represents the new form which was obtained from sealing the Kyuubi's negative emotions away. I hope that clears it up.

**2. **Those of you who have read my other fanfic already know all about how I feel about the whole yin-yang concept. But for those that don't I will give you the same explanation that is in the other fic. When taking into consideration the Taoist principles of yin and yang, yang is characterized as fast, hard (as in stubborn), focused (as in narrow minded and driven), hot, dry, aggressive, physical, destructive, sunny (as in personality) and is associated with fire, sky, the sun and masculinity. (Yeah I don't really think Naruto really needs an overload of this. Come on it's no wonder he's hyper. He's imbalanced because of all that extra yang chakra). Ying however is slow, yielding, diffuse, cold, wet, calm, passive, spiritual and is associated with water, earth, healing, the moon, feminity and nighttime. (I think he needs more these don't you).

All life is made of these two contrasting yet complementary sides; the yin and the yang. They provide the balance in the individual. Add more yin to become much calmer, more diffuse (think scatter brained or absentminded in this case) you could even grow more aligned to the qualities of the earth, water, the moon and healing. And perhaps even grow more feminine. Add more yang and the opposite would happen. But that is not without side effects. All beings are born with a perfect balance of yin and yang. It is the side they favour as they develop that determines their distinguishing characteristics. A person favouring the yin side would probably be calmer and more suited to healing whilst a person who favours his yang side would probably be more aggressive and more suited to battle and destruction. However no matter the side the person favors the other side will always be present. The yin favouring person could be more in tune with fire which is associated with the yang whilst the yang favouring person could be more in tune with water which is associated with the the person favouring one side over the other the amounts of both remain balanced within the person. The only thing different is the side the person favours more. Any less or more of one or the other would cause an imbalance which could lead to problems with the persons mind and psyche.

If a person is mentally imbalanced what does that make him? A crazy person that's what. Now imagine the imbalance only on this scale we have not just Naruto's yin chakra on one side and his yang chakra on the other we also have the Kyuubi's immense and foolishly potent yang chakra constantly making circuits in his body and adding to that side. It is comparable to a feather on one end and an elephant on the other. Having talked about the effects of such an imbalance in a human try to imagine the same on the seventy foot high creature completely composed of chakra that we call Kurama only Kurama completely lacks his yin half. What do think with happen to a creature of living chakra when half of his mind, body and soul is taken from him?

**I ADDED THIS BECAUSE I FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT. THOUGH NOT CENTRAL IN THIS FIC LIKE IT IS IN THE OTHER I STILL THINK KNOWING THIS WILL HELP ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO NOT ASKING UNNECESSARY QUESTIONS LATER ON.**

**3. **Masashi-dono made it somewhat clear that the Uzumaki bloodline limit is their incredible endurance and life force and that Naruto's regeneration is the power he got from being jinchūriki of the Kyuubi. How are these different? Well this is the explanation I came up with for how they work in this fic. I have got to say though that Gaara is the only jinchūriki who I think got something badass from his biju. Control over sand and a sand barrier independent of yourself that protects you from danger regardless of your awareness of that danger and lack of knowledge as to how to stop it. Give me that I want it.

_**This is to those of you wondering when I will update my other fic. I will continue with it. I fully intend to do my best to finish any fic I start. Unfortunately I hit a snag when setting out the background of the fanfic (**__It is amazing how little information there is on Naruto's childhood. What little there is neither fits into the rest of the series nor answers the important questions like how he grew up, where he lived or who took care of him. Nothing whatsoever on Naruto's childhood that makes any proper sense__**).Well that and the fact that I was admitted into the University of my choice just last week. Orientation is over and classes begin tomorrow. wish me luck. Anyway I am currently thinking of ways to fill in the gaps that opened up in the story. Once I am done with that I will restructure the story to go with what I had originally planned (**__I originally had up to the chūnin exam planned so I have to redo that__**) so don't worry I will continue. I just beg your pardon and pray that you wait and see what I have planned.**_

_**Also concerning the poll I took it down. It appeared the Justice League Naruto crossover with Naruto as the main character was winning. I began it only to delete it when it made me remember how much I hate the hero versus villain system in most Marvel and DC comics especially when it comes to the villainous activities and how they are punished. I am sorry to any of you who hoped to see any of those stories. However I don't think I will ever handle more than three stories at a time so you will have to wait a long time on that.**_

**THANKS A LOT FOR READING! DON'T FORGET TO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF IT!**


	2. And so it begins

**Chapter Two:**** And so it begins**

**Disclaimer:** I wonder whether I really have to write a disclaimer at the beginning of every chapter. I guess I should incase there is someone out there who actually reads the stuff and for safety's sake. I do not own Naruto or Campione. Anything the original creators and owners came up with and put into the series before I began writing this fanfic belongs to them I however own whatever plotlines, techniques, OCs, yada … yada I put into this fanfic.

'_**Demonic/boss thoughts'**_

"**Demonic/boss speech"**

'_Normal thoughts'_

"Normal speech"

**Chapter Two:**** And so it begins**

**Part 1**

Erica was unsure as to handle the situation at hand. She had to pursue the events that occurred at Barumini further. The divine beast sightings were sure to continue, she knew that much and she had to be prepared for the next one. She was the one who had requested for the mission after all. It was her chance to prove to her uncle and to the other magi of her association that she was worthy of the title [Diavolo Rosso]. She could not allow herself to fail. However commitment to duty wasn't what had caused her internal conflict. It was the mysterious blonde who did so. Erica was curious about him and his origins. She had borne witness to him falling from a rift in the sky after all. It was a magic she was completely unfamiliar with. Even now after making enquiries into the nature of the spell she was still baffled by it. That alone spoke volumes about his power and the fact that she knew nothing about him or his origins made her want to find out more.

There was also the matter of the other youth, the one who had worn the drab brown cloak. There had been multiple reports of a youth meeting that particular description at the sites where the divine beasts where seen to engage in combat. She had also seen that youth checking on the one before her. He had even been on the site when the blonde one had fallen from the sky and had been the first at his side. Were they connected somehow? She couldn't tell. It seemed to be a bit of a stretch but she had to take that into consideration. Were they comrades of some kind? Were they the ones summoning the divine creatures to do battle, perhaps as some kind of preparation for summoning a dark god who was their master? She honestly didn't know and until she did she couldn't afford to take a chance.

She had managed to secure a small room at an inn for the two of them. She also went as far as to get the blonde washed and bathed. The innkeeper had been a great in that regard help with those since she was the one who cleaned him up whilst Erica went out to purchase some clothes. Erica had been really thankful for the help as she didn't think she could have managed that on her own. The only problem she had now was the fact that the innkeeper's family seemed to think they were lovers of some sort. They had even mentioned how sweet it was for her to take care of her boyfriend after he got injured in what they thought was a "freak storm" that hit their town.

Erica paced as pondered on her current state of affairs and how far the blonde had interfered in her original plan. She had just received a phone call from agents of the [Copper-Black Cross] telling her that they had tracked down the divine signature again. This time it was coming from Cagliari where large amounts of magical power were building up. She was now torn as to whether to pursue the new lead or to wait for the blonde to wake so that she could possibly get it out him. Unfortunately that plan hinged on the assumption that Naruto was the other youth's accomplice and that he was involved with whatever was causing the Heretic god appearances. Erica was not ready to make any such assumption without at least some facts to back it up.

Nonetheless leaving him behind when he might be able to throw some light on what was going on would be stupid and it would be even more stupid to leave him behind if he later turned out to be bad guy considering that he could wake up at any time and go back to aid his partners. He could also just disappear and leave her high and dry with regards to information. Erica stopped her pacing to stare at the blonde. She would have to take him with her to Cagliari. He could prove to be of aid, either in the area of information or of battle. Nevertheless as she stared at his handsome Asian features Erica couldn't help but hope that he was not in league with whomever the culprit or culprits were.

*******************Scene Break*********************

Naruto slowly regained consciousness only to gain sight of ceiling above him. It was completely different from what he was used to. Noticing the lack of sterility and scent of disinfectant Naruto knew immediately that he wasn't in a hospital or clinic. His eyes quickly darted around taking in his environment. The room was strangely homey having as it did lots of cozy furniture and warm colors. Noting the complete lack of anything he could deem personal amongst the things in the room he was forced to conclude that he was in some sort of inn or even a small out of the way place that catered to travelers.

Sadly as he looked around Naruto realized that he couldn't place many of the things he saw in the room. Even the furniture and furnishings were unfamiliar to him. He tried to sit up only for his upper lip to twitch as to how sore his body felt.

'_Kurama', _he yelled making sure to do so inside his head. Something was seriously out of place and he couldn't quite tell what it was._ 'Kurama!' _he yelled again hoping to shake the Kyuubi awake from whatever slumber it might be in.

His answer came almost immediately when he felt the jerking sensation that he usually felt right before he was suddenly sucked to his mindscape. Upon getting there, he could only gasp at the changes which had taken place in there. Gone was the sewer system he had come to know so well and in its place was a long dry hallway with actual windows in the walls. The walls he could see were made of stone and the ceiling was high up and vaulted. He walked up to a window only to receive a shock when he tried to look through. Outside the window was an empty, endless swath of white. He stood there for a few moments trying to figure out what could have caused the change only to come up short.

"**Hurry up brat! How long are you going to keep me waiting?" **he heard the Kyuubi yell.

Cutting what he was doing short he set of on a slow jog down the hallway knowing that Kurama would likely have an answer to what was going on. Amazingly the hallway remained straight lacking the turns and dead ends that used to characterize his mindscape. He soon appeared in front of the Kyuubi's cage only to find that it had also changed. The hallway had lead him to wide open courtyard where instead of the old cage there was now a giant Torii **(1)** with the seal kanji engraved onto a sign fixed to the gakuzuka **(2).** The torii was a dark red and marked the entrance onto an elevated platform. Naruto gazed around in awe. He took a few moments to look around the courtyard noticing how the place was lit and that it had a blue sky but no sun.

Then he was off running up the stairs to the giant torii. Once there he could only stare in awe. The place was awesome. It had been styled to look like a shrine's courtyard with carefully pruned trees and flagstones with patterns on them. At the center of it all was the giant shrine itself. It was beautiful but Naruto wasn't really looking at it or the impressive surroundings. He was staring at the Kyuubi himself. Kurama had undergone the greatest change of all. He sat there on a great big purple cushion looking for the world like the cat that got the cream.

His fur once blood red had turned a soft gold, his tails waved hypnotically behind him golden like the rest of him only the tips were now capped in silver. His aura had also changed drastically. Whereas his aura had been one full of hatred and rage it had changed to a more tranquil aura. It had been one that made you think of being locked in a small room with a rabid animal three times your size but that had changed. The Kyuubi now gave of an aura that literally made you feel his power and majesty without it being overpowering. You truly felt as if you had come across a being that was beyond your power and comprehension and it made you want to bow down in respect of his awesome might. No longer were you trapped with a wild beast rather you felt like you were in the presence of royalty.

As Naruto looked at the Kyuubi he found it hard to believe that the snarling beast that had only grudgingly worked with him before had become the regal one in front of him. The Kyuubi grinned, no doubt pleased because of the reaction he'd displayed upon seeing him. It showed Naruto that even the grin had changed. It wasn't the creepy deranged one he knew but rather a more regal one filled with teasing undertones one might show a friend. He simply stood there gob smacked unsure as to how the words out of his mouth.

"**I take it then that you like the new me", **the Kyuubi said to him.

"Wh…What… How…When…?" was all Naruto could say.

"**Sit!" **the Kyuubi told him. A small cushion appeared for him to do so.** "It will take a while to fully explain so it is best to get comfortable".** Then seeing that Naruto was seated he began.

"**Anyway I guess I have to thank you for my new form he said obviously indicating his new body. By balancing my yin and yang chakra along with the chakra of the bijū as well as yours you allowed me to ascend somewhat".**

"I see", Naruto said. "I am guessing you have got some kind of power up".

"**Oh it's more than that. While I still do not have my full chakra capacity my chakra has grown in intensity and power. I have also managed to gain some of the powers and characteristics of my fellow bijū. All in all I am far greater than I was before even though I do not have as much chakra as I once did. My chakra intensity is probably not that much weaker than the Juubi's and now that I possess some of the abilities of the other bijū I am no longer the bijū whose only special attribute was his chakra capacity".**

"Wow!" Naruto exclaimed. "I am pretty sure that is something to celebrate. Too bad I can't treat you to ramen in here".

"**Naruto there is one more thing I want to express my gratitude for", **as he began. Naruto looked at him quizzically but the Kyuubi ignored him in favor of completing what he was saying.

"**When you stabilized me you did more than grant me with more power you also managed to truly balance me. You completed me just when I thought I had been irrevocably damaged from being without my yin half for so long. This allowed me to be practically reborn. No longer am I just the bijū who was unlucky enough to inherit that majority of the Juubi's negative emotions. I have become something new. I am now something greater than I was before. What exactly I am I don't know but I do know that I have a new life now with new power and that I am no longer restricted the way I was before. For this I am forever in your debt". **As he said this the Kyuubi bowed to Naruto an effect that held even greater significance now because of his new regal form and aura. **(3)**

Realizing that the Kyuubi was waiting for a response Naruto said to the still bowed Kurama. "Err…sure! Don't mention it". Realizing that the stubborn bijū was still bowed he said. "Look Kurama get up. To be honest I did not know what I was doing. I am just happy that things worked out. I am also very happy that you benefitted from it. I know that we weren't exactly the most companionable people before but since you say that you have a new life now then it is best if we start all over, this time not as jail and prisoner but as friends. That way we know that we will cover and protect each other".

Kurama raised his head to look at Naruto taken back by the sincerity in his voice even though he had known something like that was coming. He looked, truly looked at his host noting not for the first time how much he reminded him of the man he had once called father. Knowing that Naruto was that man's direct descendant and that Naruto embodied his beliefs and power made him realize that they were family. He swore then and there to protect the boy with everything he had.

"Hey Kurama you're spacing out", he heard Naruto yell bringing him back to earth. He shifted his gaze back to the blonde boy. "So how much power are we talking about anyway? How powerful would you say you have become?" Naruto enquired.

The Kyuubi smiled before answering. **"A lot!" **knowing that wasn't a sufficient enough answer he clarified. **"My chakra capacity has grown to levels that would bring me close to the Nanabi's own as opposed to four and half tails worth that were originally sealed into you. It is my chakra intensity that I am happy about though. My chakra is so thick and intense that I need less than I usually would to perform jutsu. My chakra is so powerful that I am not quite sure how powerful that really makes me. And as for the abilities I have gotten from the other bijū I am not sure about those but I guess they will reveal themselves with time". (4)**

"That is so cool!" Naruto yelled. "We are going to be so powerful. No wonder we were so badass after the stabilization. I am so glad you are my bijū, together we are just so awesome".

"**Don't sell yourself short. Our victory was as much you as it was me. I wasn't the only one who received an upgrade you know".** The look Naruto gave him proved that he truly didn't know.

"**When you tried to stabilize the chakra you did something I didn't even know was possible. You stabilized me as well as yourself. You were dying. The out of control chakra was actually destroying your cells and organs. However when you began to stabilize us I thought that there could be a chance for you succeed so long as I tried my hardest to aid as well. Then I noticed that you were unintentionally stabilizing yourself along with the chakra. You see, as you stabilized the chakra in the seal and your core you forgot about the chakra that was running through your body killing you. Anyway as you balanced the one in my seal I could see that the one in your body was getting calmer. However the damage was already done. All that chakra running rampart in your body had all but killed you. It destroyed your chakra vessels, an ungodly number of cells and most of your internal organs.**

**The only reason you did not die is because as you calmed as that wild chakra and sent it down to me you just so happened to use the left over energy in your body to repair your body. You did this in so controversial a way that it should have been impossible. By balancing the yin and yang chakra in your body you literally performed yin-yang release inside your body using the leftovers to replace and balance your cells. In doing so you sent your body into what I can only refer to as a maximized state".**

"Meaning…?" Naruto asked.

"**Meaning you have literally upgraded your body's potential. You took what you had inherent in you and took it to another level. That is why you have the rinnegan. You boosted all the elements inherent in your blood further enhancing the traits you received from your ancestors. It was that plus you absurd willpower that awakened your rinnegan. Ironically if that stupid Uchiha hadn't fired that bijūdama at us we wouldn't have been able to take it to the level we are now", seeing Naruto's confused face he explained further.**

"**I take it you noticed the differences between the rinnegan eyes you have encountered and the actual eyes of the Juubi". He waited for Naruto to nod before continuing. "That is because the original rinnegan that the Rikudō Sennin possessed was due to the side effect of being jinchūriki of the Juubi. Without the Juubi's chakra the rinnegan was slowly diluted till it became the various dōjutsu you witnessed in your time. The only reason you have the original is because at the time you awakened your rinnegan you absorbed the chakra of the Juubi from the bijūdama Obito fired at you. This allowed you to unlock the true rinnegan and you added the rest of the chakra to me. Thanks for that by the way. (5)**

**Each of the dōjutsu of your time is simply a remnant of the original rinnegan and each stresses on a particular aspect of the original. The Byakugan for instance embodies the connection of the eyes to the body and the great sensory perceptions and abilities it allowed the user through sight. The sharingan however focuses on the connection of the eyes to the mind which is why it is so reliant on the strength and state of the mind of its user. Thus the power it grants allow for greater exploration and development of the mind. The rinnegan that Pein had is a dōjutsu that focuses on the connection of the eyes to the soul. It grants the user great spiritual abilities. It is also the closest to the true rinnegan which you now possess. This means yours has all the aspects mentioned". (6)**

"Sweet!" Naruto exclaimed. "Does this mean that I have the powers of all the great dōjutsu?"

"**Not exactly", **the Kyuubi told him**. "Yours may be the original and the others might merely be diluted forms of it but that doesn't mean you possess all their abilities. While they may be diluted aspects those dōjutsu have undergone close to two thousand years of both dilution and improvement."**

He watched Naruto's eyebrows furrow and knew that a question was imminent. "What do you mean?"

"**What I am saying is that while the Rikudō Sennin's blood and power was diluted over the years one must not forget that new blood was also added to the family lines. Thus even though the dōjutsu lost some of their power and splendor they also gained new powers that the original did not have. So don't be surprised when you can't use some of their abilities".**

Naruto thought about it for a moment before asking, "Can you give a summary of what I can expect from my new bloodline? It wouldn't do for me to place my hopes in certain powers in battle only to find out I cannot perform the techniques".

If the Kyuubi was surprised at the question then he didn't show it. This was because it had confirmed some of his observations. _**'Too bad he did not ask that question before stranding us on this world'**_, he thought to himself before he smiled and answered the question. **"Your new powers are vast and embody all the aspects I mentioned previously. Your sight has improved so much that is nearly a match for the Byakugan in terms of visual perception. You should now have advanced motion tracking skills and penetrative or x-ray vision. You will be able to follow movement with your eyes in ways you couldn't before and your eyes will have the power to look through objects. You should also have the 360 vision that the Hyūga clan was famous for. The only difference is that your range will be a lot smaller than theirs with regard to this technique. From my calculations your maximum range of vision should include anything within a quarter kilometer radius where as a Hyūga skilled in the use of the ability could go up to a little over six kilometers". (7)**

"**The major advantage the Byakugan would have over you will be the connection between the eyes and the body. The Hyūga have advanced theirs to the extent that they can control their use of power and chakra to extents that are far beyond the capabilities of the normal ninja. This is in addition to their incredible eye-limb coordination and advanced motion tracking skills are what make it so difficult for them to be bested in physical combat. Their bodies also allow for them to release chakra from just about any part they wish whilst most jōnin require years of training to learn to expel chakra from their hands and feet. This is the basis of their jūken." (8)**

"**Sadly whilst your control of your body and chakra will skyrocket you will never be able to use the jūken to any appreciable extent". **

Naruto nodded his eyebrows still furrowed in thought showing that he was following the conversation. This further confirmed the Kyuubi's suspicions. **"Thankfully, the visual abilities of the Byakugan cover what you do not possess from the Sharingan. You will have an eidetic memory as opposed to the photographic one of the sharingan. You will however lack the Shawinigan's ability to give color to chakra meaning you will not be able to see how it is molded making you unable to copy techniques despite the fact that you possess the memory capabilities to take note of the physical components like hand seals. **

**You will also lack the natural genjutsu talent that the sharingan bestows its users. This comes from the improved mind eye connection that the sharingan had that allows the user to impose his will over the people around him. You should still have the predictive and analytic abilities of the sharingan since any lack there can be covered by the Byakugan-like senses you have. The main thing would be that of all the other abilities of the sharingan especially the ones associated with the mangekyō you can only use the base three". (9)**

"The base three…" Naruto repeated slowly. "If I am right then the base three are Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi and Susano-o". He looked at the Kyuubi with a calm incredulous look. "I am afraid I am not too sure about that since I have already used a mangekyō ability outside of the base three".

"**Oh!"** the Kyuubi exclaimed his amusement clear in his voice. **"What ability was that if I may ask?"**

Naruto fixed the Kyuubi with a look hoping he was actually leading to something. "You know as well as I do that I used Kamui to save us from Obito's last attack. The fact that we are where we are is proof that I used it to get us out of Obito's pocket realm". He then frowned and asked the Kyuubi, "That reminds me, Kurama where are we?"

The bijū looked at him with eyes full of pity. **"First you must understand that we cannot go back. Konoha is lost to you forever and there is nothing you can do".** His face was set showing that he would tolerate no argument and that he would not continue unless his demands were set.

Naruto merely narrowed his eyes. "First tell me where we are and why I can't get back". The two sat there staring at each other neither wanting to back down. Eventually the Kyuubi sighed finally remembering that he was dealing with Uzumaki Naruto the man who never backs down. The one who always gave his best and never gave up.

"**You did not save yourself using a kamui. If you recall when you tried to use the jutsu nothing happened. The reason for this wasn't because you did not know how to use the jutsu but rather because you could not use the ability at all. If you recall what happened at the end of war you'd realize that after you awakened your dōjutsu you found that you could use all kinds of jutsu that you had never even learnt. Despite the fact that you cannot copy jutsu like the sharingan your eyes give you a power that eclipses that. The rinnegan you possess belonged to the progenitor of jutsu. Thus they allow you to recreate any jutsu you have ever seen provided you have the ability to perform them. Seeing as you now possess affinities for all the five main elements and most of the sub-elements there are very few jutsu that you will not be able to recreate. Chief amongst those are bloodline techniques.**

**The Kamui is one of those. That is why your eyes could not recreate it despite the fact that you could recreate the Amaterasu. Thus I believe that Kamui and the other mangekyō abilities apart from the base three are techniques that were developed long after the original Uchiha blood had become diluted and evolved enough to become the current Sharingan. What you actually did that helped you to escape was the use of the Sealed Hatred Mode. You were somehow able to form a chakra link between yourself and the collapsing jutsu. It was kind of like you were helping to share the chakra cost of the jutsu. Then you did something as stupid as dump all of the chakra you had in the Sealed Hatred Mode into the portal.**

**You are lucky that it did not explode and kill us. In the end, whether fortunately or unfortunately, your use of concentrated bijū chakra for such a task caused the jutsu to go out of control. Subsequently when you stepped through the portal the destination had already changed and you ended up stepping into a whole different dimension. The reason you can't go back is because to do so you would need a kamui that you can dump my chakra into. Since you can't create one and all the Uchiha are either dead or a whole dimension away that avenue is lost to us. Even if you managed to recreate a Kamui what are the guarantee that dumping chakra wouldn't cause it to explode this time around or that when it does out of control it would drop you of at the elemental nations and not another dimension altogether". (10)**

Naruto sat there looking crushed. He could tell that what the Kyuubi was telling him was the truth. He wanted to scream and rant but he knew that ultimately it would make no difference. He just couldn't believe that he could never go back to Konoha. That he would never see his friends again. Their images flashed through his head making him want to cry. He consoled himself with the fact that the war was over and that they would no doubt live peaceful lives. He had made that future for them and that alone made him feel content. He gave a sad smile.

"Excuse Kurama, I am still a little tired. I think it would be best to go back to sleep", he told his bijū before turning around and disappearing from the mindscape.

The bijū stared at the spot from which his host left his heart going out to the blonde. He had seen the tear that run down his face as he turned around. It must be hard to lose everything he reasoned. His mind slipped back to the mention of sleep. Pretty soon the Kyuubi was asleep dreaming of all the things he could do with his new found power. His mind wandered in his dream wondering what this new world held in store. He grinned in his sleep knowing that no matter what would come their way he and his host could handle it especially if what he suspected was true.

True to his word when Naruto woke up in the real world he forced himself to sleep knowing that the sleep would help clear his head and make him feel better when he eventually woke up. However regardless of how strong he made himself look he ended up crying in his sleep. It was an action that Erica noticed. That night she fell asleep in the same bed with him tired from caressing his head in a half successful attempt at comforting him. When she woke up the next morning to find herself entwined with her mystery blonde and needless to say she was so embarrassed she performed the rare full bod blush. She lay there for a few extra minutes enjoying the warmth of his body before getting up to prepare for a meeting she had with some of the local magi.

**Part 2**

Naruto eventually woke up again. This time the feeling of soreness was not as intense as it had been earlier. Shifting slightly he noticed the telltale signs that he had not been alone in the bed. His eyes picked up depressions in the mattress that his body could not have made. His nose caught the whiff of a lady's perfume and the pillow next to his had a few long blonde hairs on it. The hair was too long and fine to be his own and had smell on it that he associated with a strawberry shampoo. He sprang upright in the bed letting the covers fall off his naked torso. Once his torso was exposed he was able to pick out a few more of those hairs on it.

'_Kurama!'_ he yelled, his voiced practically shaking his mindscape.

The fox in question was rolling on the floor in laughter.

In time Kurama explained to Naruto after calming him down that he had not somehow engaged in any sort of premarital activities or that he had been taken advantage of in his sleep. He revealed to Naruto all that had happened whilst he was in slumber. Thus Naruto now knew who had saved him and who had been taking care of him. He even showed Naruto the surprisingly intimate scene of him crying in his sleep while Erica comforted him.

They both soon realized that the world they were in was vastly different from their own in many facets. The most particular of these were clothes and language. It was quickly determined that they needed information if they were going to survive in this world. Under the Kyuubi's guidance Naruto quickly made some shadow clones which were sent out to gather information by using the rinnegan to read the minds of their victims. The clones were quick and efficient. In less than an hour Naruto had received the information from the last clone. Naruto received a pleasant surprise from this particular clone. With the first few clones Naruto quickly learnt that his language did exist in this world only it was called Japanese. He quickly informed the remaining clones to find out as much as they could about the language and people. The last clone had been lucky to find a Japanese family that was one holiday.

The group of four just so happened to have two young boys that were only a few years older than him along with them. He had quickly read their memories before dispelling. Naruto was now safe with the knowledge that he could easily pass himself off as a normal Japanese young man especially considering how much their culture, cuisine and language was similar to his. He also understood that the world he was in had advanced far beyond his own with regards to technology. So much that he glad he could read minds otherwise it would have taken him years to catch up with them.

He was now a learned man a fact he now took pride in. He knew three languages. They were English, Italian and his 'native language' Japanese. He got up and took a shower eager to get out and see the world he had just interacted with through his clones. He was a little apprehensive though because of what he began to comprehend as he compared what his clones had shown him with what Kurama had been able to pick up.

The world he was in now was devoid of ninjutsu as he knew it. The people did not even possess the potential to use chakra since they lacked chakra vessels **(11).** Notwithstanding he had seen Kurama's views of his entrance into the world and he had seen the powers that the bull and tornado displayed. Those two had been forces with power comparable to first three bijū. What scared him was that for some strange reason the townsfolk whose memories he had read neither saw nor knew about the two monsters. The only thing they knew was that a 'freak storm' that had left a path of destruction through one of their beloved towns. Unfortunately Naruto wasn't yet experienced enough with the rinnegan's mindreading abilities to tell if the information he sought had been wiped from their minds or if they were simply normal folk who did not possess the ability to see what was really around them.

The reason he was worried about this was simple it proved that there was another side to this world that he currently knew nothing about. This made him very uneasy and he resolved to find out what was going on as soon as possible. It soon clicked in his head that the girl who had saved him had seen the beasts but had also displayed abilities that the other people whose minds he'd read had only read in books or seen in movies. He wanted to wait for her to return so that he could interrogate her knowing from what the Kyuubi had informed him that she would most likely return in the evening. He resolved to wait. Having thus decided, Naruto looked out the window.

It was slightly after one in the afternoon, and the Mediterranean sun gave off bright rays. The clear blue sky had not a single cloud. This kind of wide unrestricted view was not something that could be found in the scenery back home. If he didn't go out to enjoy the scenery, it would be too much of a shame and he would have spent his entire day indoors bored out of his skull. Naruto quickly pulled on a shirt and rushed out eager to experience this new world for himself.

Half an hour later

The Sardinia autonomous region consists of the island of Sardinia and the surrounding islands. The capital city Cagliari is a port located on the south of the island, and was first constructed by Phoenicians in the eighth century BCE. Even in Europe which he now knew had incomparably many ancient capitals relative to Japan, ancient streets dating back to such historical origins were very rare. This was a relaxing street in the countryside, near the calm Mediterranean.

This was also Naruto's first impression of Cagliari. It was just the kind of town he liked, a quaint, bustling town and thanks to the memories of the townsfolk whose memories he had copied he could see a side of the city that most tourists would not. Better yet thanks to those memories he could identify with the city since in a way he knew it like he had lived here for all his life and yet was seeing it for the first time. He could better appreciate it since he was familiar with its sights and history.

"...I'll keep strolling in this little town for today, then after I will head back to the inn to meet my caretaker. Hopefully she should be able to fill me in on the hidden side of this world", he said under his breath knowing the Kyuubi could hear him. He was right since the bijū replied not long after.

'_**And if she refuses?' **_he asked_._

Naruto's jaw clenched slightly_. 'I don't think it would come to that. After all she was kind enough to take me in and care for me. I'm sure that she would not be against helping a traveler on his way'._

'_**I'm asking what you will do if she refuses', **_Kurama said in a persistent tone.

Naruto answered knowing it was a valid question._ 'If it comes down to that I'll simply wait till she is asleep and then take the information from her head'._

Naruto and his bijū continued in silence for the next few minutes before Kurama said, _**'Hey kit there is something strange going on in this city'.**_

'_What?' _Naruto asked his curiosity roused.

'_**I am not really sure. All I know is that it has been slowly getting stronger as time goes on'**_

'_Where is it?' _Naruto queried.

'_**I sense that it is near the bay. If you continue with your sightseeing plans then you will be headed straight for it. My advice is to turn away and leave it be'.**_

Naruto however continued as he had before in a very relaxed manner till he reached a giant church—the plaza of a Duomo cathedral. He took a short stroll there, and then left the beautiful plaza. The Kyuubi sweat dropped at how easily his advice had been brushed off.

Starting from there, he could see Cagliari bay. Looking into the distance, the sea stretched from one end of the horizon to another, beautiful as an emerald. This kind of beautiful ocean was impossible to see in Konoha, and Naruto felt his heart getting excited and his footsteps quickened.

'_**Naruto…' **_Kurama began his voice filled with warning. Naruto paused amid step to show that he was listening._** 'Be careful, whatever it is easily as powerful as I am'. **_

Naruto merely nodded silently and continued on. Kurama however sighed. His suspicions were officially confirmed he just added what he had noticed to what he could tell would be a large pile that he would leave unnamed till he had completely figured it all out. At least he reasoned things would be pretty interesting from here on out. He made himself comfortable, preparing himself as Naruto walked down a street called Via Roma, hurrying towards the sea.

**Part 3**

It was only a few seconds after Naruto began his stroll along the sea side when he encountered the youth. The youth in particular was leaning against the wall of a building that resembled a warehouse, looking towards the ocean that he faced. He gave off a strangely wonderful feeling. Naruto knew immediately without prompting from Kurama that this was the source of the power that he had mentioned. He could feel it against his skin.

He quickly slipped into a stance that gave no outward sign that he was getting himself ready for a fight. Only a skilled fighter would be able tell from the tensing of his muscles and the slight loosening of his joints that he was preparing himself for such a thing. His hand was also hovering over his kunai pouch in a manner that seemed casual but would allow him to draw a kunai at a moment's notice. As he steeled himself for whatever was to come Naruto made sure to observe his quarry taking not of anything that could help in the confrontation he was sure was on its way.

It would be rude to call the youth's attire unkempt, but that was the impression given by his coat. What was probably once a white coat was now a dirty brown in color. The clothing itself was a bit tattered showing long use once you factored in how sturdy they obviously were. It didn't seem to be something one would wear on this street on the sea side but rather something Naruto was sure would not be out of place for travel through desert areas like wind country.

He appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years in age, so he was about the same age as Naruto with jet black hair to his shoulders, skin the color of ivory, and most important of all, he was extremely handsome. Naruto could not help but feel somewhat drawn to him. There was a kind of familiarity to the androgyny of his facial features, —suddenly, Naruto placed him. This youth was the same one that Kurama's accounts placed as the person who saved his life.

He was so stunned that he barely registered that the youth was also staring at him. And then the youth smiled. It was very common for people to greet others with a smile the first time they meet someone and exchange glances, so Naruto presumed the youth was saying hello to him.

Stepping towards him the youth said, "Xxxx, xx, xxxxxx... xxxxxx."

It was clearly a language Naruto had never heard before and Naruto could immediately tell that it was none of the languages that he had become acquainted with. The gist of many languages could easily be understood once the vowels were emphasized, but there were many sounds which were difficult for Naruto even with the knowledge he had gained that day to discern what he was trying to say.

In the end Naruto said to him in Japanese, "I'm sorry; I can't understand what you are saying."

Naruto hoped to convey to the youth that he could not understand him. He made sure to add lots of gestures and facial expressions to help communicate this knowing that if this failed, then it was better to give up.

The youth conversely looked at him a little sheepishly then unexpectedly, he was answering Naruto with fluent Japanese. "Oh, my apologies, then I shall use thy way of speaking."

Naruto glared at the youth. He had known how to speak Japanese this entire time and yet he still waited for Naruto to nearly embarrass himself in public with his extravagant gestures.

"Well, hardly of significance, but a strange taste—no, dare I say smell—hangeth around thee, catching my attention, thus I spoke to thee." the youth said. Naruto noted his voice clearly slightly lower than a tenor and was probably in the baritone range even as his eyebrow rose at his statement.

"Payest no heed to it, I assume I have made a fool of myself, to have asked such a strange question."

"Boy, acceptest mine apology for my misspoken words. Pray forgivest me, I mean thee no offense."

The youth did not seem to be malicious yet his words could have angered another person. Naruto however continued to be wary. The youth from his point of view had just called him smelly and weird tasting. At the moment he wasn't sure, whether the youth was trying to provoke him or if it was something that he had not really meant to say but had let slip out by mistake.

The youth smiled lightly, his narrow eyes becoming even more so, and his lips curved. It was a very classical smile. Rather it should be described as a smile as subtle as mist. "Indeed, I was right about thee. Thou dost carry the aura of a warrior".

Naruto looked him over and stated, "I know you were the person that stopped my fall and saved my life".

The youth nodded slowly his light smile still on his face. His features were very handsome, but his tone was rather arrogant, and felt like a superior talking to someone beneath his station. He was clearly about the same age, but he called Naruto 'boy.' Naruto was quite familiar with people who were nobles and others who hid their true appearance so all these set of bells in his head. The youth before him was obviously much more powerful than he let on. That plus his antiquated way of speaking made it obvious that much older than his physical appearance. None of this really concerned Naruto. He was only trying to get a better read on the enigma before him. He didn't seem like Tsunade the type that hid his their true age from the world because they were embarrassed about it.

"Thank you very much", he said with a very deep bow. "I doubt I would be here now if you hadn't intervened. I am in your debt". Naruto tried to convey his gratitude and sincerity with his actions but the youth simply brushed them off with a gesture like they were something he was used to receiving.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I am from Japan. What is yours?" Naruto asked eager to know the youth.

"My name, my birthplace... Eh, what is it?" The youth spoke very casually.

The unexpected answer made Naruto speechless. "...Umm, if I may ask, was your amnesia just now a joke?"

"Of course it is amnesia. Correct, I have lost all memories of the past. A troublesome condition, this is and most vexing."

Though Naruto felt the youth was joking, he made a suggestion. "If you really lost your memory", he said "Then let me accompany you to…" there was a slight pause here as Naruto shifted through his borrowed memories for what he wanted. "… the police or a hospital."

"Unnecessary, though I have neither knowledge of my name nor origin, there is no immediate problem. All I need to know is the most important thing about myself."

"The most important thing?" Naruto enquired. This was a strange person. Confirming this in his heart, Naruto continued to question whether or not he was speaking the truth all along, this youth definitely counted as a strange person.

"Yes, I am the victor. Victory is always in my hands. That is my nature. Facing any kind of conflict or enemy, unchangeable and unshakeable is my victory." This extremely arrogant declaration was uttered from the youth's mouth calmly and simply. This guy's speech was completely unpredictable. Thus Naruto was slightly taken aback, he also felt a little impressed.

"It is true, I have long sought the taste of defeat for all this time, but none hath ever prevailed against me. By the way, whenever I start fighting I lose myself, and cannot avoid getting all serious..." Sighing as he gazed into the distance, the youth suddenly made a suggestion to Naruto.

"How about it? Art thou interested in competing against me? Canst thou amuse me for a while? Anything, as long as thou art good at it. Games, martial arts, a battle of wits, horse riding, anything. By the way, this place seemeth to be near Greece, I remember that country hath a kind of competition that made use of the entire body, rather interesting. Dost thou have something thou art good at?"

Having been issued a challenge like that, Naruto of course couldn't back down. He nodded and quickly the youth began to search for a place that could be used for them to compete.

Walking near the port, the two of them soon reached a corner of an empty field. Gathered there were about ten-odd youngsters who worked at the pier. They were playing street football, probably during a break or after work. This was probably their playground. Fishing nets were hung everywhere, and seemed to be used as football goals. Right now there were two nets in use, and two teams were competing. At the side of the field was a large shop.

Naruto slipped into a simple stance, his hand flicking open the lid of his kunai pouch. He shifted slightly trying to ignore the ache and soreness in his muscles.** (12)**

"Perhaps, it would best if we found something else in which to compete seeing as thy body hasn't completely recovered from the last battle of thine." Ignoring Naruto's surprise at his discernment he continued, "It is fine to sigh over an old injury, but treatest it not as a mark of shame. Getting injured is a natural part of the warrior's path. Only those who doth not fight remaineth uninjured. It is proof of thy past battles. "

"_How does this guy know about my injury?"_ Naruto asked himself. He stared at the youth's face in shock, but just as he thought his opponent was patronizing him he realized that his opponent was not showing any pity in his expression. Those extremely cool eyes carried an intense sense of pride. What kind of person would have eyes like those? Solemn and majestic. This was a warrior—as described by the youth himself.

"Hoho, actest not surprised. I am the one embodying battle and victory. As long as thou hast obtained results through battle, be they good or bad, I can discern it. Boy, there exist warriors who continueth fighting in spite of wounds or over exhaustion. There was once this person who judged it time to throw down their weapon, but that fellow choseth not to run. A true warrior." The youth smiled, but not in the faint and distant manner just now, but rather grotesquely. It was the first time for Naruto to see such a smile.

Naruto smiled as well. For some strange reason he became conscious of the fact that he also wanted to compete with this strange boy who claimed he'd never lost a battle. His battle spirits rose catching the eye of his opponent.

"Excellent! Good boy, good warrior! Quick, makest haste, choose something lets beginest the match!" Once again, the youth returned to a child-like demeanor. Naruto turned looking around whilst thinking of something in which they could compete in. Suddenly something familiar crossed his vision.

"Oh, thy talent lieth yonder, I look forward to it."

"Ah, no, that's..."

The youth however was not listening. He merely continued to head to the side of the field. Naruto followed him shrugging. The youth did say he never lost, right? He could already imagine the competition. Naruto patted his hungry stomach as he followed the youth. 'Soon!" he told it.

**Part 3**

The result of the match was very surprising. It ended in a draw disappointing all of the youngsters who had forsaken their game of football to watch the competition. They had cheered them on and some even began to place bets on the outcome. It was great contest filled with tension as the spectators kept wondering who would pull ahead. The shop owner who acted as the judge was so hard pressed at administering that he had to get helpers. All wondered how such slenderly built people could accomplish such feats.

Naruto was pleasantly surprised at the result. It was hard to believe but the youth had been able to keep up with him. The youth however was beyond shocked. He couldn't believe that a simple mortal could push him that far. He was sure that if the battle had continued he would have eventually lost despite the fact that he was going all out. Sadly no one would know how the end result would have turned out seeing as the shop by the field soon ran out ramen.

Yes ramen. The familiar thing that caught Naruto's eye was the cup ramen at the window. The fact that they had cup ramen at a shop in this new world surprised him but he was not going to question this obvious gift of the gods. They had decided to hold a ramen eating competition since the youth felt that he could beat Naruto at something he was good at. In the end they cleaned out the store of not only the cup ramen but the instant type as well. That was why the shop owner needed helpers. He could not serve them up himself especially with how fast the two were eating.

The youth traded glances with Naruto, and they smiled at each other.

"...Though it was a strange day, I am very happy. How about you?"

"I too am happy. Such games are not bad once in a while. Thy skill is great indeed".

Naruto grinned, his first grin since arriving at this world. He was surprised to find himself getting so familiar with the youth in such a short time, without even knowing his name. However, it was not an unpleasant feeling. There was just a kind of friendly feeling he got from this youth that reminded him of himself somewhat. It was like they were so alike that he received a sort of sibling feel from him or a kind of bond shared between like-minded people.

"Well then Katsu-san **(13)**", he said grinning. The youth turned smiling as well showing his acceptance of the nickname. He liked the name. It suited him.

"What are you going to do next? If you plan on staying in town for a while, let's meet again. Maybe we can spar when I have fully recovered."

"Yes, I would like that. It would be nice to do so, provided I am not busy with things that I must do..."

"Didn't you say you lost your memory?" Naruto queried. "What could you be planning on doing?"

"Ah yes! That. I just feel that there is something that beckons to mine self. A duty I bare for one reason or the other", the newly dubbed Katsu said.

Naruto thought on it for a moment then with a grin on his face he said, "Don't worry about it. I will help you get your memory back".

Katsu turned to him in surprise. He couldn't believe this boy was going to go out of his way for him. He briefly wondered how the Naruto was going to help him get his memories back only for the answer to be given to him.

"Your memory is sure to come back after all the beatings I'm sure to give you when we fight"

Katsu's eyes widened in disbelief. He laughed at the manner in which the ignorant youth had just challenged him. That was until he saw the look in Naruto's eyes. Those eyes showed clear determination and confidence in one's self. He smiled.

"I see. Naruto dost thou want to feel what it's like to be intimate with defeat" he said.

Naruto snorted knowing that Katsu was ribbing him. "The only 'feat' that will be felt will be mine on your face"

The conversation soon slipped into one full of good natured ribbing and boasting so great that it had the Kyuubi sighing at them. The two chatted and laughed together as they walked. Both were aware of the others power and both could feel that the other was a kindred spirit. Katsu could easily sense with battle insight that Naruto was a hero, the kind who had gone to the extremes in defense of his precious people and beliefs. He could also tell that Naruto had lost a lot in doing so but that he would gladly do so again if it meant saving someone worth saving. Walking with Naruto caused him to feel at peace with the knowledge that there were still people like that in the world. It helped him remember his own nature as well.

It was sunset on the harbor street. The little sea side road was illuminated with a bright shade of orange. The day was about to end. If possible, Naruto really wanted to spend more time with this youth. Consumed with that thought, he became even more talkative. Which was why he failed to notice the shadow in the road ahead. This shadow was in the shape of a beautiful young lady. By the time Naruto had noticed her, she had already begun the conversation.

"Excuse me, the person who is walking there—I'm very sorry for the sudden intrusion, but I have something to ask."

It was said in Italian. Feeling he was the one being addressed he shifted his gaze to the speaker and at that moment his attention was completely captured by the girl who appeared before him.

Just barely over 160cm, her height was not especially tall for European standards. However, there was a certain sense of dignity, how should one put it? Proud like a queen, standing there with such an imposing presence. Her long blonde hair fluttered against the sea breeze. Dressed in red, under the glow of the orange sunset and in contrast to her long blonde hair, the impression of the red color was especially intensified. Red like a burning flame and hair the color of gold, it was like the crown of a warrior, majestically perched upon her head.

However, all this aside—the most important feature was the girl's beauty, from which Naruto could not tear his eyes away. Beautiful features as if the result of delicate craftsmanship, better proportioned than any doll, livelier than any model or actress, and completely saturated with nobility and self-confidence, it was a face one could never forget after seeing once.

"Err… yes", he answered eloquently his mind still caught on her beauty. A part of him recognized her as the girl who had been taking care him whilst the part of him that had just been exposed to her for the first time was unsure as to how to interact with her.

"Just what was it that made you think that you could simply go out after waking up from such a state?"

Naruto did not know what to say. Based on her tone he could tell that she was angry and his experience with angry females assured him that he was going to be feeling a lot of pain shortly. Quickly he tried to say something to save himself but he was so stunned and at loss for words that his mouth opened and closed without a sound. Beside him the sounds of someone trying to smother giggles was heard drawing the girl's attention from him. With a cry of surprise she swiftly took a few steps back.

Then she held her hand out and cried, "Come, lion of steel. The one carrying the spirit of the lion, the steel that carries the essence of battle! Respond to my hand and voice! Your name is Cuore di Leone... The warrior inheriting the name of the lion-hearted king!"

Naruto stood there a bit taken back by the sudden change in the girl's manner. He detected a quick buildup of power as the girls yelled and took a step back unconsciously.

"The knight Erica Blandelli swears thus, I will return your loyalty with my valor and chivalry!"

A sword suddenly appeared in the outstretched hand. The silver body of the blade was slender and elegant, like a beam of clear light bathed in the rays of the setting sun. She thrust the sword out at his new found friend.

"You!" she exclaimed. "Please tell me all about the god that has appeared on this island and your actions in association with the appearances of the various divine beast sightings".

**AND CUT! REMEMBER TO KEEP READING, ENJOY WHAT YOU READ AND REVIEW**

**Author's Rants**

** 1. **Torii are Japanese gateway arches normally placed in front of shrines. They symbolize a transition into sacred territory. They are also the giant wooden structures Naruto used to restrain the Kyuubi in the battle for control of its chakra and form the base of his new seal.

**2. **Gakusuka are the vertical pieces that link the upper and lower crossbeams or kasagi and nuki of a typical torii. You can simply Google torii if you want a clearer picture.

**3.** I guess I don't need to explain this one after all I said on it in the last chapter. If you still don't get it you could go back and read the author's rants of the last chapter only this time take it in the context used in this point. It was explained in number

**4. **Just so you know these are going to be Kurama's limits in this fic. In a way he will be a lot less powerful than he is in canon considering he and Naruto beat the first seven bijū with nothing more than 4.5 tails of power. In this fic the bijū didn't really fight. In fact they held back as much as they could without disobeying their orders and even gave his some of their chakra to help. As for the powers he gained from the other bijū you will have to wait for that and they will not be revealing themselves so soon.

**5. **And there you have it. The reason why Naruto has what will be called for the purpose of this fic, the Rinnegan no Juubi or Samsāra eye of the Ten-tailed beast.

**6.** This is merely to show the differences between the three great dōjutsu and their relation to the original at least for the purpose of this fic.

**7.** I hope you weren't expecting me to give him all the powers of the Byakugan or any of the three great dōjutsu in particular. If so then you will be disappointed. I can't have Naruto being overly powerful right at the beginning. Besides, I truly believe all I said about dilution and evolution. The whole concept of 'Win some, Lose some' is central in evolution. As time goes on all creatures (mankind included) lose some of their distinguishing characteristics and gain new ones. This all for the purpose of fitting into an ever changing world. Any traits that are no longer needed for survival is discarded whilst ones that do are developed that is just the way of life.

Thus if I am going to portray that Naruto's dōjutsu is the original one that the other's evolved from then I am going to have to show the advances that the newer strands have made with respect to what the aspects they inherited from the original. So the original will not have any of those new traits. This helps with my plan for limiting Naruto's power whilst enhancing it beyond the canon version. This should allow for more growth especially when he starts to gain authorities.

**8.** Masashi-dono explains this during the chūnin exam arc. He makes it clear that Hyūga are the only ones that are inherently capable of emitting chakra from any part of their bodies whilst all others have to train intensively to do so. And that even with training their skills would fall far short of what the Hyūga are capable of.

**9. **this summarizes what will be the primary differences between the sharingan and the rinnegan no Juubi. It explains the advances the sharingan has made over base aspects of the rinnegan no Juubi just like I did with the Byakugan.

**10. **Here is the full explanation of how he ended up in the campione-verse and the reason why he cannot go back home. Note that this isn't only about how he got there but also an explanation on why he will not be getting any other mangekyō abilities apart from what I have labeled the basic three. So Naruto will not use abilities like Obito's intangibility, Izanagi, Izanami, Kamui, Kotoamatsukami, Tengai Shinsei, or any other techniques Masashi-dono may add to the arsenal of the Uchiha's. While I apologize to those of you who might be disappointed by this I am not likely to budge or change my decision on the matter. This is because I feel Masashi-dono (for reasons currently unknown) added those abilities simply to convey the power and majesty of the Uchiha (Like the series hasn't had enough of that). They are techniques of overwhelming power made to show how powerful Uchiha Madara, Obito, Itachi and to lesser extent, Sasuke are in comparison to normal ninjas and I feel they are too powerful. Adding them would completely negate all my attempts to limit Naruto's power to a more reasonable level.

**11. **Chakra is supposedly the mixture of physical and spiritual energies which technically everyone has. However according to canon chakra is made, mixed and molded in the vessels of the chakra before it can be used to perform ninjutsu. Taking this into consideration it stands to reason that apart from the inhabitants of the Naruto-verse no one else should be able to use their particular style of ninjutsu and powers seeing as it relies on a circulatory system not present in other forms of life.

I am explaining this since if might play a minor role later and also because I want to make it clear that only characters from the Naruto-verse would be able to use their particular brand of ninjutsu in my fics. That however doesn't mean that the effects of a jutsu cannot be replicated in some other way (hint*hint)

**12. **sorry to those of you who expected a fight but I felt that it was too soon. Moreover it has been shown that using large amounts of Kurama's chakra for a while has adverse effects on Naruto. Take the state he was in after fighting Orochimaru in the four-tailed state for example. He was sore all over and his skin peeled off. He wasn't even able to put up a proper fight to Sasuke after that. This is there to help show that even though the chakra is purified, the Sealed Hatred Mode does have side effects. No power comes without a price after all and the price of this power is the strain it places of his body. More will be shown on this as the story develops.

**13. **This is the nickname that Naruto has given Verethragna and it will be his primary way of addressing him in this fic. It is a name I found fitting because Katsu means Victorious.

_Well, that's that. Thanks to all those who reviewed, favorited or followed the first chapter. This one is for you. I hope you found it to your liking. I would also like to inform you that I am open to suggestions on how to develop the story faster and make it better._

**THANKS A LOT FOR READING!****DON'T FORGET TO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF IT!**


	3. Huh, where am I again?

**Chapter Three: [Gods], mages, knights, divine beasts? Where am I again?**

**Disclaimer**: I wonder whether I really have to write a disclaimer at the beginning of every chapter. I guess I should in case there is someone out there who actually reads the stuff and for safety's sake. I do not own Naruto or Campione. Anything the original creators and owners came up with and put into the series before I began writing this fanfic belongs to them I however own whatever plotlines, techniques, OCs, yada … yada I put into this fanfic. Huh, this is the same exact disclaimer as the one in the last chapter (well except this bit of course). I wonder how many people will notice that.

'_**Demonic/boss thoughts'**_

"**Demonic/boss speech"**

'_Normal thoughts'_

"Normal speech"

**Very Important: **Having reviewed your reviews I have realised that the few criticisms that I have gotten are on the elaborate explanations in my tale. It seems there might be some who feel I am merely going on and on without any proper reason whilst others have problems understanding what I am driving at. While I admit that I may be a bit longwinded this all springs from the fact that I find it very exasperating when someone asks me a question based on something I think I have explained already. That is why my explanations are that way. I try to make sure that I have properly explained the issue so that it is properly understood before I move on. That way no one would then have cause to ask me to explain it again especially when I have gone past that point and explaining would make me have to go all the way back to things I have already discussed. To the latter half of people who have problems understanding what I am driving at stop skimming through the explanations and read them instead. I wrote them so you would understand what I am referring to.

**Chapter Three: [Gods], mages, knights, divine beasts? Where am I again?**

**Part 1**

Erica was confused and worried. She had just returned from the meeting with the local magi only to find that her charge had somehow disappeared. Fearing that he had been taken or worse she quickly rushed out to search for him. She didn't have to search for long. Following her gut she found herself walking down a mostly deserted lane. It was then she saw him. He was walking right in front of her talking and laughing like he had no care in the world. His hair was being blown in the slight breeze as he laughed and showed of his bright teeth. She blushed lightly as she simply stood there gazing at him.

Seeing him there reminded her of how she had just spent her time searching for him when he was apparently taking a stroll through the city. She squashed that feeling immediately. She had no reason to get that angry with him over something like this. In spite of that she decided that he had to be taught that such behaviour was unacceptable. She quickened her pace so that she would be on the path when he walked by a sinister smile on her face.

"Just what was it that made you think that you could simply go out after waking up from such a state?" she managed to get out, her voice coming out sickly sweet.

It was easy to calculate how startled the blonde boy was from the look on his face. He was so stunned and at loss for words that his mouth opened and closed without a sound. Seeing that look on his face made Erica want to giggle at what had turned out to be an awesome prank. However someone beat her to it. The sounds of someone trying to smother his giggles made that quite obvious. She swiftly shifted her gaze to the culprit. With a cry of surprise she swiftly took a few steps back.

'Her' blonde was with him; the suspect. They had been walking and laughing like they were the best of friends. All of Erica's previous fears crept up on her. So the blonde really was in league with the suspected youth. She quickly took a further step back trying to better assess the situation. The suspect was with 'her' blonde and they were chatting and laughing together. Did that really mean they were in league together? She had to be sure. _'The best thing to do right now would be to stick to the original plan', _she realised. She had to capture the suspect so that he could be questioned.

Thus thinking quickly on her feet she held her hand out and cried, "Come, lion of steel. The one carrying the spirit of the lion, the steel that carries the essence of battle! Respond to my hand and voice! Your name is Cuore di Leone... The warrior inheriting the name of the lion-hearted king!"

She made note of the surprise on the blonde's face and the disregard on the complete disregard on the other youth's. _'Perhaps the blonde really was an unwitting innocent in this whole mess'_, she thought to herself. Her thoughts were hopeful.

"The knight Erica Blandelli swears thus, I will return your loyalty with my valor and chivalry!"

Her sword swiftly appeared in her outstretched hand. The silver body of the blade was slender and elegant, like a beam of clear light bathed in the rays of the setting sun. Erica smiled inwardly at the familiar feel of her most prized possession. She thrust the sword out at the brown cloaked youth.

"You!" she exclaimed pointing it tip first at him. "Please tell me all about the god that has appeared on this island and your actions in association with the appearances of the various divine beast sightings".

Naruto watched the events before him with widened eyes. Just when he and Kurama had begun to think that this world lacked the powers and warriors that had filled his world he had met the sickeningly powerful boy beside him and the girl in front of him. He observed the girl taking note of her stance and posture. She looked confident and sure of her abilities. Though the feeling of power emanating from her was a great deal less than Katsu's he was pretty sure that she was probably good at whatever she did. Her posture showed she had too much experience not to.

He turned to Katsu; nothing of what she had just said had escaped him. He wasn't really sure what it was all about but it was clear to him that she had just accused his new found friend of being involved in something. That and the way the question was framed showed that he was about to witness either an interrogation or a fight.

"...Hey, what is this about? She looks very serious, why is she after you?" Naruto asked warily.

"She wanteth me to confess everything I know. Simply put, it is a threat."

"A threat huh…why?"

This dialogue between Naruto and the youth took place in Italian of course and so Erica followed it ease. However hearing the two of them converse so familiarly made the blonde young beauty frowned with displeasure. She quickly popped a new question, "Answer truthfully, are the two of you both working on this?"

Naruto hastily tried to think of a way to deny being involved in whatever illegal dealings that were being discussed and yet not look like he was abandoning his new friend to save himself. Thankfully the matter was taken from his hands when his friend answered for him.

"This one has neither knowledge of what ye speak of nor have we spoken before today", Katsu responded curtly.

The girl nodded slightly accepting his answer. She cleared her throat softly and asked again, "I would like to ask you about the [Heretic God] incidents that appeared all over the island of Sardinia about three days ago. Bosa, Orgosolo, Barumini... You were sighted in all the places where divine presences were confirmed. This cannot be coincidence, right?" The girl spoke looking right at Katsu as she talked.

Naruto watched the interaction closely all the while wondering what she meant by [Heretic God]. Katsu had ignored all her questions except the one that had mostly exonerated him thus far and he was sure that she must be feeling a bit frustrated by now. She took a deep breath and straightened herself. Naruto figured she was going to try a different approach.

"I am Erica Blandelli, Great Knight of the magic association Copper Black Cross of Milan. Even in this remote place in the south, there are members of our association. This I am sure you know for so far you have been able to slip away from them and stay away from us. We have evidence that clearly show you to be at each of the towns I mentioned earlier. Never were you far from the site of the divine sightings. It would be best if you just answered my questions so that we can all put this behind us ", she said with a level voice.

'Magic association, divine presences and gods', Hearing these strange terms made Naruto feel troubled. This was mostly because he barely understood what the girl was saying. The knowledge he had obtained earlier was also contributing to the fact. When he tried to use it to answer his questions all he did was confuse himself even more with the views and knowledge he had accumulated. There was one thing he had confirmed though. It was that he had just found himself in a whole new mess because his new knowledge told him that what the girl spoke of was mere fiction. That it wasn't really true despite how some people wanted to be and that such people were lunatics.

However, the tone of the now identified Erica's voice was too natural, and surprisingly there was no sense of dissonance. She honestly believed what she was saying. It was all fact to her. That and the weird feeling of power he had felt from both of them in addition to the display that had summoned the sword made him realise that what was happening was indeed real.

"—Who on earth are you? Though it isn't apparent, could you be a mage? A priest or deacon of some religion? If that's the case, there is nothing unusual about successfully summoning a [Heretic God] by chance. Anything wrong with my speculation?" she queried.

She was ignored yet again. Naruto was then privy to the sight of Erica Blandelli smiling. It was a small tight smile that seemed to convey her displeasure to the world with an assurance that whatever had caused that displeasure was in for a great reckoning. This was not the first time Naruto had seen such a smile on a woman. He had lived in a place with super powered women after all. Most of who were quite alright with showing their displeasure in violent ways.

Nevertheless the smile caught his full attention. It was beautiful in its own scary way. How could she look so haughty, yet so glamorous at the same time? He wondered. It didn't make her look as brash like the ones he was used to. Her haughtiness and poise made her ladylike rage look more like that of a goddess. (An expression he would become familiar with in the future not that he knows that of course) Naruto couldn't help but sigh at this point. This was a woman who did in fact look beautiful when she was angry. He began to feel fear for his new friend Katsu despite the obvious advantage in power difference he had.

"Ah, I see. I've waited for you for so long and yet you respond with silence? No other way then, peaceful negotiations end here and it's time for battle. Trying to talk sense into people who cannot communicate is like casting pearls before swine." Erica said shifting into an attack stance.

Naruto was in a dilemma. It was now pretty obvious that a fight as about to break out. Erica was already crying for it. Katsu on the other hand continued to watch the proceedings with an amused half smile. It was like he didn't even regard Erica as an opponent. Naruto understood this since he could somewhat sense his power levels and they were far above Erica's own and he wasn't even trying. The action however only served to further infuriate Erica. In his the image of an eight year old Konohamaru challenging the Third Hokage came unbidden to his mind. He quickly shook it out.

Affronted she cried, "If you are someone involved with gods, you must have heard of the mighty names of Erica Blandelli and Cuore di Leone? I have no wish to use the red and black techniques against a nobody. Hurry up and tell me all you know with efficiency, swiftly and obediently."

Katsu only showed a faint smile. "Thou art an unruly little lady. To point a sword at me, even for warriors in the past, few have dared such barbaric acts towards me. The ignorant are truly terrifying", he finally said.

"Ah, so confident in your own abilities?" Erica said proudly puffing her chest out towards the wryly smiling youth. The tip of her sword was waving about like the tail of an animal. Naruto could immediately tell that it was the motions of an impending attack.

"If you'd like, I can prepare a sword for you. I, Erica Blandelli, will never let anyone escape from a duel of the sword. What do you say?"

Hearing her conceited words, Naruto couldn't help but sigh. He agreed with Katsu. The ignorant really are terrifying. He said this because from the way Erica had up and challenged Katsu it was pretty clear that she couldn't tell how powerful he really was. Her choice of words combined with her motions showed that she hadn't even factored it into account. As a matter of fact it rather seemed like she thought she was the one who would clearly come out on top. She wasn't preparing herself for a serious battle he realized. She was actually prepping herself to dish out a beat down to someone she thought had insulted her. **(1)**

Katsu dismissed the offer. Naruto turned to him a bit surprised. He began to wonder if Katsu was not underestimating his opponent a bit too much. It was obvious from Erica's sword stance that she was very skilled. Only someone who had reached a certain level of mastery could have such elegant poise, a functional beauty resulting from eschewing all of the unnecessary. Naruto could feel that this level of cool and imposing presence could not be simply the result of a beautiful appearance.

He decided to step in and stop things where they were before the fight actually started. He had just made to move forward when Kurama's voice blasted in his head.

'_**Naruto', **_he yelled.

'_Arhh! What is it? Can't you see that I am busy?'_

"_**No time for that. I have detected a massive amount of power not too far from you'**_

'_What, where did it come from?' _Naruto inquired.

'_**It has been here the whole time. It is the power I detected earlier. The one that was growing stronger',**_** he said.**

'_What?'_ he yelled. _'But you said that was Katsu'_

'_**I thought it was. However his power doesn't seem to have grown in the time we have been together but I have still been detecting that growth. I think his power was so massive that because it blanketed the area it masked the other power signature making me think it was him', **_he affirmed.

'_So where is it',_ Naruto asked instinctively knowing he wouldn't like the answer.

Meanwhile beside Naruto in the outside world, things were progressively getting worse between Erica and Katsu.

"Thy proposal interests me, but sadly enough, I have no leisure to spare", Katsu was saying.

"I see. There has never been a person who refused my invitation. To think I would have a first experience of rejection in such a place, how insulting", Erica said in reply her tone showing she would not accept his excuse.

"Hoho, thou shouldst not say it so, I shall play with thee one day. But now—" he said to the elegant but regrettable Erica: "A more troublesome fellow is coming!"

A sudden development occurred immediately afterwards.

**Part 2**

BOOOOM!

An extremely loud explosion was heard. Naruto turned to look at the site. One look was enough to make him start cursing in Japanese. A gigantic [Boar] roughly fifty meters in body length had suddenly appeared in the sea, and was landing on the coast in a very strenuous manner, knocking over the surrounding buildings. Naruto found it hard to believe what was before his eyes. The sword-wielding Erica also appeared frozen.

'_Never mind',_ he told Kurama. _'It's already here'._

'_What in heaven's name was this?'_ he asked himself. Totally at loss, Naruto found his hand being grabbed at that instant.

"Hey, boy, runnest! Makest haste and escapest!" The youth yelled as he ran, pulling Naruto by the hand.

They moved at speeds beyond normal humans. The swift turn of events that Naruto had yet to recover from combined with the fast speeds at which he was moving numbed his thoughts, Naruto merely followed and ran trying to sort out the situation in his mind. Thus when he finally became aware of the dreadful conditions they were running towards, he broke out in cold sweat.

"W-Wait! That direction you're running towards is too dangerous!"

"No matter what, our escape route was blocked by the sword. This is the so-called tiger at the front door, and something at the back. Makest thy decision quickly! Only by charging into danger can there be chances of survival." Even under these circumstances, Katsu was yelling joyfully.

The place where he was being led to was exactly where the [Boar] was rampaging. Probably the most dangerous place in Cagliari at the moment. Katsu's words stopped Naruto's heart cold. He realized that they had just left Erica behind.

"W-Wait!" he yelled. "We left her behind, she might be in danger"

As if to emphasize this a great and terrible roar was heard. The two of them turned to look at the source of it, the [Boar]. The fur and hide of the gigantic [Boar], was as jet black as darkness itself. Whenever the black giant beast stepped upon the ground of the harbor, the earth shook violently.

"Roar!"

Every time it howled, windows in buildings vibrated, and then shattered. Whenever it charged, multiple buildings or warehouses were demolished like small scale miniature models. From somewhere a fire started. Probably flammable oil kept in some storage. The disastrous fire gradually spread, and the harbor looked as if it was being licked by crimson tongues, and then swallowed. Slowly the fire grew to a point where it looked like everything was going to be burned down.

"...Thanks to this great fire, that troublesome woman probably gave up. She did seem smart did she not? She wouldst have the sense to head for shelter in such a mess."

Naruto simply stared at the burning blaze hoping sincerely that Erica did have the sense to hide from the blaze. Though there was no immediate danger, the fire was gradually spreading. Furthermore, a couple hundred meters forward was the most terrifying [Boar]. All surrounding buildings that could be destroyed were already gone, but the beast did not charge over here. It ran about like a rampaging bijū. For a moment Naruto couldn't help but wonder whether this was it was like when the Kyuubi attacked Konoha.

'_**Well, it's close. Factor in a few shinobi scurrying about trying to hurt me with their weak jutsus and you'd have a more accurate picture'**__,_ the bijū supplied.

"If this continues, we are likely going to be burned to death. Why did you bring us to such a place?"

"Thou shouldst not be afraid. If we escape before the flames devour us, there is no problem—that is the truth."

Retorting against Naruto's complaints, Katsu was surveying the surroundings. Annoyingly, the guy's handsome face still carried a relaxed expression. Despite the massive fire burning away so near, the youth did not have single drop of sweat. In contrast to Naruto who was quickly soiled by sweat and ash, the youth maintained his pure and pristine look.

"What are you doing? You look very strange, did something happen?"

"Yes. Actually I heard cries for help; it should not be my imagination."

Naruto perked his ears but could not hear anything similar. He voiced this out, "I can't hear anything like that. You must be mistaken."

"No, impossible—I see!" with this Katsu suddenly burst into action. The direction he was heading towards, was exactly the place the giant [Boar] was destroying.

"Where are you going? That place is dangerous."

"Ha-ha, if thou art afraid, pray returnest first. Forcest thyself not!" Katsu said even as he charged forward.

Naruto only hesitated for an instant, and then ran in pursuit. If they separated now, very likely he would not see him again. Most importantly, he had to carefully witness the reckless actions of this youth, thus Naruto decided. Running after the youth, Naruto strove to move his footsteps. Weaving through debris, kicking away stones, avoiding the scorching flames, coughing and tearful from smoke inhalation, and overcoming many difficulties, they ran for about five minutes, until Katsu finally stopped. His path ahead was blocked by many collapsed piles of construction materials. About an hour ago, these construction materials were piled in neat stacks up to roof height along the rows of warehouses.

However, it was now a mountain of debris, and the intense fire was devouring the surroundings. The present challenge was most difficult to overcome. Without appropriate equipment, there was no way to advance. At this time, Naruto noticed there were human voices on the opposite side, crying and calling for help. From the sound, it was probably not just one person, but several or even a couple dozen. Naruto raised an eyebrow. Were these people what Katsu had heard? Not even he had heard them. As a matter of fact he doubted that any of the ninja he knew could. Even the Inuzaka would be hard pressed to hear the people in the midst of all the noise the [Boar] was making, the sound of the roaring flames as well as the sounds of the collapsing buildings.

"Hey, boy. Thou recallest this location? This was the place where we were playing."

Katsu's sudden question made Naruto instantly remember. It was just as he said. This was the empty field where they had had their competition. Only there had been people playing football here, young men who had been near the pier several tens of minutes ago and had come to cheer them on and place bets. The warehouse had collapsed, mostly due to the [Boar]'s rampage. Then it later caught fire, resulting in the current situation. Luckily the shop that had hosted them was mostly intact.

"Those fellows likely failed to escape in time, and could only cry for help in sorrowful voices."

"Those fellows? ...Could it be the ones from the pier!?"

"Yes, the same. The ones we met are crying for help, and their voices have reached mine ears. This is one of my abilities, no mistake about it." Silently Naruto raised his eyebrows yet again at this unexpected information, now beginning to wonder exactly what kind of powers Katsu had at his disposal.

Beyond the massive pile of debris, now that they were close, something like Italian voices could be heard. Of course, the meanings were unknown since the sounds where muffled, but it was easy to imagine them as cries for help. Naruto quickly tried to find an alternate path around the debris, but was unsuccessful. Then he tried to find a path through the debris, but was unsuccessful. After that he tried to find a way to avoid the burning heat, but was unsuccessful. Complete failure!

Disregarding the burning fire, there was also the [Boar] several dozens of metres ahead, engaged in destruction. Naruto felt indignant. Due to that monster, how many people have been sacrificed? Thinking that, his heart lit up in anger. He quickly ran at the pile of debris using his chakra to hop over most of it whilst clinging to the unstable surfaces making sure to move carefully

Watching Naruto, Katsu smiled smoothly. With one giant leap he stood by Naruto with his hand on his shoulder preventing him from advancing.

"Thou seekest to save others before securing thy own safe escape. Thou art a boy with admirable qualities. Thy sense of justice is worthy of ten poems of praise bestowed by me."

"Idiot, is this the time and place for something like that? Stop messing around!"

"I jest not. I shall save those fellows, restest assured... Boy, though the duration was short, but I am happy. Thou hath my thanks." The red flames illuminated his handsome face as he said this.

Noticing a sense of solemnity, Naruto was silent. What on earth, what was going on with this guy? What was with the sudden feeling of greatness? —It was very strange.

"Ho-ho, to have amused myself so much with a brat amongst the mortals, was truly unexpected. On a whim, I could not help but lead him around for fun, but it is almost the end. I must finish my mission. If fate willeth, let us meet again. May peace be with thee!"

Katsu, who was shorter than Naruto, was somehow looking downwards at Naruto by virtue of his presence alone. However, there was no sense of dissonance. He simply gave off a very admirable and blindingly brilliant feeling. Naruto already knew he was not an ordinary human. But now he realized the he must be a very special existence.

"Thou mayst leave now, boy. The direction thou followest hath no vortex of flame, only stable mortal life. Righteous character will not lose the light's blessing, thou shouldst go straight ahead. "

With this he merely headed towards where the people crying for help were. His finger pointed in the opposite direction the entire time, and then Naruto felt his body stiffen then turn and walk towards that direction by itself. Naruto tried to stop himself but he couldn't in fact he could barely stop himself from breaking into a run. What was going on!?

'_Kurama what the hell is going on?'_ he yelled even as one foot slowly came down in front of him.

'_**Hold on kit. That bastard somehow gave your body a command to save itself', Kurama yelled back. 'I'll see what I can do to stop it'.**_

He didn't need to. Naruto merely spun around and with a burst of speed he was behind Katsu, his hand on his (Katsu's) shoulde**r.**

"What did you think you were doing to me?" he said, his voice trying to be calm.

"What a stubborn brat, thou resistest my spell words."

"So you really do want me to leave from here and abandon you and those people. Sorry, I don't do that", Naruto clarified.

"Thy thoughts are sufficient. I do not need thy assistance, because thou wilt only get in my way. Makest haste, escapest", Katsu pleaded in gentle tones.

Seeing that Naruto wouldn't he sighed saying, "Such a shame to have lost my name. If my name was called during times of crisis, my blessing will be obtained. If I were my past self, I would never leave this holy phrase as parting words! So friend, I shall gift these words to thee—farewell! Makest haste and run!"

The result was, unexpected at best. As Katsu finished bidding his farewell, Naruto's legs tried to turn away again. This time they were met with extreme resistance. They tried to twist regardless of the rest of Naruto's body but were held in place.

Katsu's eyes widened when he saw this for the strain was evident on the outside. " You fool!" he screamed making it the first time he had raised his voice the entire time Naruto had known him.

"No mortal can break away from that enchantment. Surely you can feel that", he continued. Seeing that Naruto still didn't desist he grabbed his head in frustration.

"Art thou so stubborn as to destroy yourself to prove a point?"

Something about this rubbed Naruto in a way that wasn't necessary wrong but still annoyed him. Katsu was just trying to save him from danger, he got that. But he was Uzumaki Naruto. He didn't need protecting. What was he some helpless whelp?

There was a small outburst of power from Naruto that immediately drew Katsu's attention. His eyes widened once again as the mortal he had come to know as Naruto accomplished a feat he'd originally believed him incapable of. He watched as Naruto's power levels grew far beyond that of the lady knight they had met earlier. It caused a visible change in him. His whisker marks became thicker, his fingers lengthened to become claws and his hair began to look wilder and shaggier. The most startling change came from his eyes. They turned red with his pupils turning into animalistic slits.

The very eyes approached him alerting him to the fact that their owner had broken free from one of his godly commands. Naruto looked furious. He grabbed the front of Katsu's coat and dragged him forward.

Then he snarled, "Do not presume things you do not know". "Now, we either leave together or we go on together. Which do you choose?"

Katsu simply smiled. It wasn't one of his usual smiles but rather a happy smile filled with camaraderie. "Then it is best we set off then, is it not?"

Naruto's appearance changed back to his normal look. Without a word they set off to help those trapped. They worked together seamlessly looking as if they had been partners for years. As Naruto freed the people Katsu provided avenues for them to escape. There was moment when Katsu destroyed a bunch of debris blocking their path with a single punch. It had been eye popping but no one had time to stare. The folk around were too busy running or screaming whilst running. A few however did express some form of thanks as they were helped away. Naruto and Katsu were nearly done when things began to go to shit.

ROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!

Coming up to them radiating a feeling of despair was the [Boar] it stood larger than the Duomo cathedral he passed by in the afternoon. Looking at it Naruto remember all the talk of divine beasts he had heard Erica spout. He quickly surmised that this was one of them. Compared to the great cathedral standing there the [Boar] was a more divine presence. It looked like the kind of thing that people would worship; pay respect to or even offer prayers.

Beside the quiet and pious structure, the massive beast stood there, several dozens of meters tall,—the giant black [Boar]. It was so well-built that it looked slightly fat, with a strong and vigorous body with unexpectedly slim limbs and a mouth containing frighteningly large tusks. The only creatures he could think to compare it to were the bijū. This was a One-tailed boar bijū.

'_No!' _he corrected himself.

No matter how lively a boar, none could be as ferocious or grotesque as this one. Its brutality made one think of a god, a god of fury, god of destruction, god of jet black darkness. This single minded aura of wrath and destructiveness made it much different from any of the bijū. Shock and awe and fear, those were the emotions that played over Naruto's face.

'_**He's not that great you know',**_Kurama commented.

Noting the tone of his voice Naruto asked, _'Hey Kurama, you aren't jealous are you'._

'_**Please, jealous of that ugly beast. Don't insult me. I could probably wipe it out with my eyes closed, not to mention I am the one who's got the beautiful fur'.**_

'_Yeah',_ Naruto affirmed looking at the [Boar's] dark bristly fur. _'You could probably whup it without problems' _**(2)**

The [Boar] however seemed to think it was the king of the area.

ROAAAAAAR!

After several roars which made the earth shake and the air tremble, the [Boar] pulverized the Duomo cathedral like an art piece made of paper. Naruto only stared at the scene stupefied. Pieces of stone debris fell from the sky like hail. He felt sad to see the building be destroyed like that on a whim. The memories he had absorbed from the townsfolk had provided him with a sort of attachment to the city not unlike that of a local so he knew the significance of the cathedral and couldn't help but feel its loss.

The beast was far too dangerous! It had to be stopped before it did any more damage. Just as Naruto thought that, a gust of wind blew. At first it was a light refreshing breeze, but then it immediately began to strengthen. He turned around looking for the source only to see a small gale forming around Katsu.

"...Wind? —Now isn't the time to be so casual!"

Katsu merely smiled as the wind continued to grow. "Perhaps, it would be best if ye focus more on getting the stragglers away from here. This place is looking to become a battlefield".

Naruto nodded in his direction. "So how are we going to tackle it?"

"Not we my dear friend, me", Katsu said. Seeing that Naruto wished to put up an argument he continued. "Please know that I do not wish to insult your martial talent. It is just stands that yonder beast is my responsibility so please leave this to me and just help the townsfolk".

Naruto looked at him intently for a minute before nodding again and leaving to help the remaining townsfolk. The strange thing that happened afterwards probably won't be forgotten for a lifetime. Katsu walked calmly towards the [Boar] with the gale around him constantly getting stronger. He seemed to be muttering something under his breath. As it transformed into a full blown tornado Katsu could no longer be spotted he had dispersed into the raging winds. Soon after the duel between the tornado that was Katsu and the black [Boar] began.

In the area around the plaza of the Duomo cathedral, there were many of Cagliari's historic buildings. Like the Torre dell'Elefante, Torre di San Pancrazio and others... There were also many Gothic and Baroque churches from the Middle Ages. At the location of these historical buildings, the tornado formed just now had swept the giant [Boar] into the air. How strong were the winds in this tornado? Devoured by the spiraling storm, the [Boar] was suspended in midair. Surrounding it, Naruto witnessed the sudden arrival of golden flashes of light. Swiftly and sharply, golden arcs sliced the [Boar]'s body into pieces.

Gaaaaaaaah!

The [Boar]'s roars filled the air, sounding like final death cries. Losing support, the massive black body fell onto the ground, resulting in an extremely terrifying crash, collapsing a tower in the process, scattering stone pieces everywhere, and demolishing many houses. Naruto could only watch with pity as the [Boar]'s body slowly turned into grains of sand and collapsed. The one that swept these grains of sand was the winner—the tornado. It gradually subsided, turning into a strong gust of wind, taking away with it the sand which the [Boar] had turned into.

'_**Wimp!'**_ Kurama pointed out mockingly.

What remained were the streets which had turned into hell. They were seriously damaged with fires still raging at the pier, as well as people in chaos. There were people who only cared to escape, people who stood frozen, people praying to God; crying, and angry, terrified, hurt, sighing people. Amongst these crowds, Naruto walked by himself heading to the place where the tornado had dispersed to look for his friend. Katsu was nowhere to be found. He had literally disappeared into thin air.

At some point in time, the sky had turned black. In the broken streets at night, Naruto now wandered aimlessly alone. He was still trying to find out what had happened. He couldn't wrap his mind around it. This new world was just too strange. He needed help if he really wanted to figure out what was going on. Thankfully his luck held and he sensed a familiar presence up ahead.

The one who appeared here was the blonde girl dressed in red—the owner of that unforgettably beautiful face. Erica Blandelli. She was currently engaged in a heated conversation with a robed individual. Naruto just continued to walk up till he stood behind her. That was a bad move on his part because as soon as he got within three feet of her she spun around with her sword poised at his throat.

"Please don't kill me!" Naruto managed to get out.

Her eyes widening in recognition Erica withdrew her sword which immediately vanished in motes of light. She turned and barked something at her acquaintance who changed from a weird battle stance that had his hands faced towards Naruto and walked away.

The two of them were soon left in an awkward silence. She shifted slightly in embarrassment still caught up in the fact that she had nearly decapitated him earlier. Neither was sure how to begin luckily Erica's own pushy attitude showed up to save them.

"Well now that you are awake I would like to ask you some questions" she began.

Naruto gave a small smile, "Only if you promise to answer some of my own".

"I will!" she said hastily thinking to close it before he changed his mind.

"Do you promise?" Naruto asked his eyes narrowing as he stared at her.

Seemingly affronted by the question Erica drew herself up haughtily. "Though it pains me that you would doubt the word of knight of my caliber I shall acquiesce to your request. I Erica Blandelli of the Copper Black Cross do so promise to fully fulfill the conditions of the agreement we have just contracted".

Naruto looked at her for a few moments a bit taken by her dramatic flair before smiling and saying "Okay then!"

**Part 3**

Naruto was first to answer questions. Not sure whether he could actually trust her or how well his true story would be received he made up a story. He quickly told her his name and mentioned that he was from japan. When asked about his blond hair he fed her a story about being an orphan of mixed parentage. When asked whether he knew magic he answered in the affirmative but explained that it was probably nothing she was used to. He declined her request for a demonstration. When she asked about which association he belonged to he told her that he couldn't say and that it was a secret he couldn't give out without the consent of his superiors. He explained that they were removed from normal civilization and practiced 'old ways'. His appearance in the sky was explained away as an emergency experimental teleportation spell he had used in a battle that had gone awry.

Kurama thought the entire thing was a load of crap and to be honest so did he but he managed to school his expression throughout the story to make it seem sincere. The fact that it was mostly made of half-truths helped as well. Suffice to say they were pleasantly surprised when Erica simply nodded as he recounted his tale eating up just about every word. Apparently his hasty backstory was not that uncommon. **(3)** Pretty soon it was his turn to ask the questions he made sure get straight to the point.

"Let's start with; what is a [Heretic god]? I am afraid I do not understand that bit."

Erica looked at him suspiciously for a moment but seemed to remember his story about being removed from mainstream society and answered anyway.

"Well... To be frank, whether or not these are [Gods] in the religious sense, we still cannot say for sure." She said speaking as one would when explaining a complex urban concept to someone from a backwater village. Naruto didn't mind since it helped with his cover story and contented himself with listening intently knowing Kurama was doing the same.

"Due to the [Myths] humans have passed along from ancient times, _they_ were born. The essence of the earth, sky and stars, natural elements like the system of earth, air, water and fire or the system of metal, wood, water, fire and earth, these are what comprise the supernatural core of [Myths], thus lending form to these existence, the [Gods]. That is the hypothesis that we magi have established."

Naruto could only understand about half of what Erica said, but felt compelled to nod and agree with the mention of the word 'supernatural.' Without a doubt, these existences transcended laws of nature.

"However, for [Gods] that make an appearance, a portion of them rebel against the [Myths] that form their core. We have named them [Heretic Gods], gods who resist the myths. They appear in places unrelated to their myths and bring great disaster. Simply by being present, a god's power will cause great detriment to the human world around it. A god of drought would cause drought wherever he appears, things like that."

"...Gods of disaster. I really agree after seeing that black boar."

"Who knows, that could actually be the incarnation of a gentle god. When originally benevolent gods become [Heretic Gods], they also become the source of chaos."

"What do you mean?" he asked suddenly curious.

"Sometimes when a [Heretic God] forms the process of rebelling against their myths can cause them to behave in ways different from how they are depicted in their myths. A benevolent god might turn wrathful and destructive whilst a villainous deity might go out of his way to right a wrong of some sort that doesn't even concern it".

"I see…" Naruto said, not seeing at all but taking note all the same.

"We are not sure why that is so. But one thing is known for certain, no matter what their attributes, humans are the ultimate victims."

Naruto could clearly see that. "That's depressing", he said. "So when gods appear, what do you do?"

"Not much, there is little we can do", she admitted. "But there are a few options. First of all, option one is to treat it as a natural disaster like storms or earthquakes, and endure it. Do not cause any commotions, but pray for the gods' mercy or willful departure. There is also the option of offering sacrifices, praying to the heavens, that's entirely reliant on the gods."

"However compared to meaningless struggle, it's far more effective. See, the people of Cagliari have not been in uproar over today's incident? That is the current way."

"Yes, I see. So everyone knows about gods appearing?" he asked

"Of course not, the humans who explicitly know about gods are not numerous, but the ancient streets of Europe are pretty much the secluded residences of magi, so people have been taught how to handle these situations. Also, there is tradition; ways of dealing with minor divine appearances have been passed down the ages from ancestors."

"I get it now. Then back to what you were saying, if that's the first option, what's the second?"

"Yes, option two is the simplest. Defeat the god."

This got an immediate reaction from Naruto. It completely changed what he had been thinking thus far. He had begun assuming based on Erica's description that the gods in question were… well gods.

"Can such a thing be done?" he asked.

"Of course not!" Erica replied with a snort clearly enjoying his reaction and apparent ignorance.

Naruto however didn't find it that funny. After building up to that point only to then receive such an unreasonable answer. _'What is this? Is she playing me for a fool?'_ he asked himself.

"It is impossible for ordinary people, and even the best high ranked magi. But on extremely, extremely rare occasions—if one were to receive the grace and good fortune compared to like three or four miracles taking place simultaneously, then it's possible. However, this is not an option worth considering."

"In other words, it is an extremely improbable coincidence. You would need to be a god yourself to have any sort of chance." He muttered now understanding.

"Exactly!" Erica confirmed."It is completely impossible without a miracle on the level of a carpenter's son born in a manger, and finally becoming the savior of the world. Plus even killing them is not permanent"

"Excuse me?" Naruto said stupified. Of course Naruto didn't get the former reference but he did understand the later part and he did not like the sound of it.

"Well they are gods. They can't be killed at least not permanently. If defeated they just return to the realm of myth", Erica made clear. "However they do leave this plane and do not return for lifetimes so that would be the best way to deal with them if it were not impossible. Hence, option three is the most practical. If it's a comparatively weaker deity, just seal it."

This was something that Naruto understood. His life had begun that way after all. Sealing would be the best way to handle such a situation. As a matter of fact that was the way creatures that could not be permanently defeated were handled in his world. However this brought to mind the dark side of his world seeing as it reminded Naruto of one thing, jinchūriki. He could feel Kurama's interest stirring as well. He had to find out for sure. Thus he asked.

"How exactly do you seal away a god?"

Erica seemed to think for a moment before answering. "There have been recorded cases where minor deities were banished so to speak back to the realm of myths where they belong using complex rituals. Sadly most of these rituals have been lost over time".

"Sometimes the gods are trapped in sacred buildings like temples or shrines and sealed in there until a more permanent measure can be found to deal with them but such ways are very difficult and have extremely low chances of success".

Kurama displayed an image of the shrines in Kumo where Matatabi and Gyuki were sealed when they didn't have jinchūriki. **(4)** Silently they concurred and Naruto asked tentatively not sure how the question would be taken. "Has there been a situation where a god was sealed into a human?"

The response he got was favorable albeit unexpected and harsh. "Don't be stupid!" Erica practically yelled. "It takes dozens of high ranked magi alone to gather the magical power necessary to seal a minor deity to talk about sealing one into a child. The child would not even survive such a thing. No human can. In fact it would be impossible for even campione to have a complete deity sealed within themselves. Divine power is not something that can be handled by humans"** (5)**

Naruto did his best to conceal his sigh of relief. He didn't know what campione were but he could care little about them. It seemed his worries were unfounded that was all that mattered to him right now. They were no such things as jinchūriki in this world. He silently sent a word of thanks to whatever deity ruled this plane chuckling when he noticed that the Kyuubi doing the same. He only preyed that he hadn't aroused Erica's suspicions with that question.

Erica was indeed suspicious. Even for someone who was from an isolated backwater magi community Naruto appeared too ignorant of things that would be clear to most mages or people with any relation to magic. He had magic and was definitely knowledgeable of some sort of the magical arts. She had seen him fall out a portal with her own eyes and recover from serious injuries in record time so he had some sort of magically background. His story had seemed truthful enough as well despite the fact that he had clearly been hiding something. Erica let this slide convinced that whatever it was it was not something he would appreciate her trying to pry into especially since they barely knew each other.

Naruto however had one more question, "What of divine beasts?"

"What of them?' Erica inquired.

"Where are they from? How do they fit into the picture?" Naruto clarified.

"They are simply bestial manifestations of divine power. Hey are normally the manifestations of a god's abilities and are more or less servants of the gods", Erica explained. "They are not as dangerous since most are basically a collection of divine power functioning instinct. They appear more often than actual [Heretic Gods] and are easier to deal with. A good strike team of battle mages can take out with no problems." **(6)**

She noticed the look of recognition and familiarity in Naruto's eyes as they discussed divine beasts. _'Maybe he is not as ignorant as I thought',_ she said to herself.

The recognition Naruto seemed to be having was actually due to the similarities between divine beasts and the tailed-beasts from his world. Bijū or tailed-beasts were simply masses of chakra that had consciousness, these beasts were masses of divine power but with animal instincts as opposed to the true sentience the bijū displayed. All were bits of godlike creatures. Though from what Erica ha said they were manifestations of a god's divine power that acted as the god's servants whilst the bijū were the godlike being only split into nine pieces. Also they didn't seem to be immortal since from what he had witnessed they could not regenerate like the bijū or the gods in question though he supposed they were immortal in the sense that they could be recreated or reconstituted if the deity wished.

_**'We've got the better end of the deal', **_Kurama noted smugly. _**'More power and even better our power is our own. Plus we don't dispel when defeated like summons or even worse shadow clones. We aren't bound to any one's will and can run free'.**_

_'You forget that you are also forced to spend lifetimes bound in the bodies of other creatures. How is that running free',_ Naruto quickly pointed out.

_**'True',**_ Kurama assented. _**'But at least we are not mindless beasts. we can think for ourselves'.**_

Naruto ignored him in favor of asking Erica a new question. "So what are you going to do now?"

Erica contemplated telling him or not. In the end she decided to. Naruto had already shown that he was not affiliated with the culprits she was looking for whoever they were. His ignorance alone was proof of that. Plus she would prefer to keep him around, at least until she figured out the heart of the mysterious aura that seemed to surround him. He seemed like a mystery she'd love solving. That and she just wanted to keep around longer.

"First, we have to deal with the crisis that has happened here. That however can be handled by the local magi. My mission is to figure out the identities and abilities of the god or gods terrorizing the island that and to find out how they got here. If they were summoned must locate the perpetrators and if possible detain them. The information I obtain could quite possibly be the key to solving this whole mess", she revealed.

Naruto however caught an undertone in her voice that prompted him to ask, "You are not really sure where to proceed from here are you?"

Erica sighed and nodded. "I can only seem to get to the places either after the disaster has happened or is already in progress. There appears to be nothing I can do to stop or prevent them from occurring in the first place".

"Isn't there someone you can ask for help from? Perhaps a superior officer in your organization you can call" he queried.

She shook her head. "All the senior ranked officers of the Copper Black Cross are overseeing projects at many different parts of the world. I am afraid it would take too long to contact them for assistance by then even more disasters are likely to have occurred and the perpetrators could be gone by then", she explained.

"What about any experts in the area? Is there no one amongst the local magi that is high ranked enough or has the ability to deal with this?" Naruto asked again.

Erica's head shot up at this. "Wait there is one. There is called Lucretia Zola the Witch of Sardinia. She is one the highest ranked witches under the heavens. She lives further inland on the outskirts of town of Oliena. She has been involved in numerous cases involving [Heretic Gods]. She is sure to know what to do"

"Great, so how are we getting there?" He asked eager to be off.

"We?" she asked jokingly.

"Of course we, did you think you were going to leave me behind?" Naruto added.

"Well it depends actually; I would have to arrange transport. That could take a while especially with the state things have been in since the [Boar's] attack", she replied laughing a little.

"Hmmm…" he said in thought sorting through the knowledge that had yet to fully become part of him. "You know it might be best to get go with public transport if we are in a hurry. With things as they are there are bound to be refugees of this incident moving to other parts of Sardinia we could easily go with them"

"What are you talking about?! How can I possibly take public buses or trains?"

"What do you mean?"

Erica proudly puffed her chest at Naruto and said, "Listen well! I, Erica Blandelli, have never taken a train or a bus since the day I was born. Isn't that excessively troublesome? And you need to wait here specifically."

"Uh..."

"I have my own car and driver. Ignoring planes for now, as far as land travel goes; there is completely no reason to do something as troublesome as what we are doing now."

"Uh..."

"Ah... However I do enjoy horse riding a lot, especially that feeling of the breeze, you can't experience that from other places. If only you were as cute as a horse."

"Oh quiet you!" Naruto finally admonished. "Anyway, I understand now." he continued looking as if he had been enlightened by some truth.

"My greatness?" she said sarcastically. "If that's the case, you are too slow; your observation skills need work."

"No, it is not that", he asserted. "I have just realized. You are one of those sheltered princess types aren't you?" he said accusingly.

She was the kind of woman who existed in a completely different culture. By simply calling herself a mage, she was actually trying to hide her identity as a high class lady who was impossible to placate and had properly been pampered too much growing up. Naruto sighed. If experience had taught him anything it was that these types were always troublesome at times even more so than they were worth. He prayed that this wouldn't turn out like any of the other cases where he got involved with noble women.

"Ah, I didn't grow up that sheltered, though I did receive a noblewoman's education, but the results were less than satisfactory, at most average."

"An ordinary commoner would have nothing to do with the word 'noblewoman'!" he pointed out right before he sighed a second time. Who was he kidding this was probably going to end up like all the others. He would probably have to fight some nigh unbeatable bad guy in the end and have to come up with a single use, one of a kind rasengan variation in the end.** (7) **He could hear Kurama cackling with laughter in his head.

Erica made an exasperated noise. Apparently she didn't like it when it people brought up her noble background especially since she was supposed to be some mage knight person and they were supposed to be though. "You just lack comprehension skills", she exclaimed. "Do well to remember that traveling with you is completely my decision. I can easily decide to leave you behind."

Erica then declared in a very straightforward manner. "Besides, as a knight, one must endure all odds to complete the mission, overcoming trials and tribulations. This has been the way since ancient times. You don't have to worry about this principle."

"Yeah, yeah yeah…" Naruto droned clearly bored already. "I get it"

"Then I shall allow you to accompany me to Lucretia Zola. I am interested to know what you intend to do after meeting the famed Witch of Sardinia, as well as your background and the magical power you claim to have that I wouldn't recognize. Furthermore, that boy could very well contact you, so this is the best course of action."

With a very clear expression on her face Erica looked like a woman on a mission, even worse she somehow managed to look the part of knight about to begin a quest. Thinking on this Naruto turned to Erica his visage serious.

"Hey Erica, you don't really have to chase down Katsu, do you? Yes he was quite strange, but not a bad person. After all, he rescued many people at the harbor today?"

Erica's expression softened. She understood where he was coming from. This Katsu character had saved his life not to mention the fact that they had well on their way to becoming fast friends when all this had happened. She decided to keep her suspicions to herself until she had finished investigation. It would not do to dash his hopes so early when nothing concrete had been confirmed.

"I cannot say", she eventually admitted. "You saw the divine beast yesterday, right? Just look at the destruction it wreaked", she added gesturing to the ruined city. "It is not the only one that has been spotted. There have been other sightings the one that appeared yesterday was the [Boar], and over the past three days there were three others appearing on the island of Sardinia. The [Camel] at Bosa, the [Ram] at Orgosolo, and the [Bull] at Barumini each causing disasters at least equal to this. That boy is the prime suspect for summoning them. If it really is the case that he was indeed rescuing innocent bystanders like you say, then he might simply be cleaning up his own messes, and there is nothing to be praised in that."

Naruto winced as her points hit home. Even he was beginning to have his suspicions on Katsu's involvement as he looked at the facts that had been laid out. He honestly understood the need for Erica and her association to bring him in for questioning it was the right thing to do after all. However his instincts told him that something was not right about this whole mess that he was missing a major part of the puzzle.

"...With the one from yesterday it all adds up to four", Erica was saying. "Luckily whenever the divine beasts appeared, a [Wind] deity immediately appears to defeat them, so serious damage was avoided. Great fortune amidst misfortune."

This bit caught Naruto's attention. A [Wind] deity always appeared to defeat the divine beasts. That didn't make any sense the [Wind] Erica was talking about had to be Katsu but that made things even more muddled. Was he the one summoning them and if he was why was he defeating them and saving the innocents caught in the crossfire. He debated with himself whether or not to reveal the information on the identity of the [Wind] deity to Erica. He didn't. This was something he would keep to himself for now at least until it became necessary to reveal or he had a chance to talk to Katsu and hear his side of the tale. On a lesser note, this world just kept getting more and more interesting. To have monsters causing destruction everywhere and then be able to sum it up as 'serious damage was avoided,' what a terrifying world he had dropped into. Kurama merely laughed.

"At all these scenes and next to the divine beasts, the boy was sighted on all occasions. Even if he is not the one responsible, he is definitely an important witness. Say, do you still have any objections?" Erica was still saying not realizing that Naruto was caught up in his own thoughts.

Luckily Naruto had the presence of mind to at least take note of what she was saying even as he was thinking so he was able to answer, "No, I guess you are right."

He quickly changed the topic. Erica caught on to this and they spent the rest of their time discussing other issues instead whilst she requested transportation from the local magi.

**AND CUT! REMEMBER TO KEEP READING, ENJOY WHAT YOU READ AND REVIEW**

**Author's Rants:**

** 1. **I laughed when I first got to this part in canon. Erica was so confident, haughty and arrogant. She kept looking down on Verethragna and Godou not realizing that the former could squash her without effort. My Erica is a bit different but only because she had met the two prior to this and so wasn't as discourteous as the original. She still thought she could take on Katsu though, a fact that kept raising both Naruto and Katsu's eyebrows in amusement. Thumbs up to **Orchamus,** you were looking forward to this bit. How do you like it?

**2.** Okay, how many of you think Kurama cannot whup the [Boar's] ass? Show of hands people, I am counting. Bear in mind that even canon Kurama has abilities aside from the traits of brute strength, ferocity and awesomeness that both he and the [Boar] happen to share. That and it has been shown several times in campione canon that despite the fact that the [Boar] can dish out serious punishment he is incapable of taking much himself. As a matter of fact I'll wager that Kurama can take on any divine beast in campione and win. Ladies and gentlemen hurry and place your bets it is sure to be a titanic clash. What do you think about this? Hmmm, I might just do an omake of this.

**3.** Campione canon has it that magi are secretive in nature and that every land or society has several groups of magi operating auspiciously within it. It is not impossible for a small group of backwater magi removed from the mainstream culture to exist especially if they are 'old' and mostly forgotten because then they would be masked by the more notable larger organizations in the area. In addition fights between magi are not exactly rare so that bit is a no brainer and I imagine that spells going awry would be common occurrences especially if the spells are experimental. Altogether it is a plausible story and one that Erica would believe. First of all she has no reason to doubt it, at least not yet. And yes, she realizes that he is hiding something but that only makes it more believable than if he was extremely forthcoming which would have only raised suspicions. After all everyone has something to hide.

**4.** While not really supported by canon I remember reading somewhere that the Nibi had a shrine where it was sealed when not in a jinchūriki. I am not sure whether it was a fanfic or just something I put together from my forays into Japanese religion mythology. If so then the idea probably came from the legend of Tama the bakeneko who as I recall had a shrine built over his grave or so. Anyway I find the whole idea conceivable enough especially since the Ichibi supposedly has a tea kettle of its own. So I applied it to both Kumo bijū. The idea was to provide Naruto with parallels he could draw on to better understand what would be an entirely foreign concept by starting with things he understood.

**5.** Divine power cannot be handled by humans. This is heavily supported by campione canon seeing as the mere act of tapping into the divine energies of the authority sealed in the Tome of Prometheus technically killed Godou. This is supposed to be true for all divine artifacts. Please note that campione are not regarded by canon to be human. They are existences between god and man so they are pretty much demigods. Plus they have to be reborn in order to be able to use the divine authorities they usurp from their defeated foes. This rebirth process actually changes their physical and magical composition. Even so they don't even get all the power of the gods they slay only the bit that best suits them and they cannot use too much of it. This is supported by what happened when Godou tried to use more than one of Verethragna's abilities at once. If doing that was self-destructive then imagine how it would be having the complete god, with all those thousands of years of accumulated knowledge, experience, power and abilities gotten with their ever evolving myths. Even a campione would surely perish. And even if they won't in canon they will in this fic.

**6.** Here we have my explanation on the nature of divine beasts. I am basing it on how they appear in canon especially on how the gods and campione seem to summon them, Verethragna, Melqart and Godou especially. In all the cases I know of the person activates the authority which then brings forth the beast. Rather than see it as a summoning I see it that the power from the authority is what coalesces to form the beast in question especially since Godou's [Boar] is supposedly a manifestation of his deeply buried destructive, wrathful instincts. That and the fact that the beasts are never depicted as actual animals but rather divine powers of their 'summoners'.

**7.** How many of you have realized that this seems to be the theme for a lot of Naruto's adventures in the movies and filler arcs. There will be a princess or upper class lady with some sort of stuck up views of life who he eventually helps achieve some sort of life altering self-realization, a seemingly unbeatable bad guy and a new yet one time use rasengan to finish with. Very notable among these are the Snow/Spring country arc, the Demon country one and the country in the desert where he traveled through time and met his father with the ladies being Koyuki, Shion and what's her name…Darn it, can't remember. The sad and annoying part is that he never gets it on with any of these girls. I swear it's like Masashi wants Naruto to die a virgin.

_Well, that's that. Thanks to all of you for your reviews, favorites and follows and to Annoying1234 for his support. It is thanks to you support that this chapter came out. I hope you found it to your liking. I will also be continuing with my other fic Prince of Whirlpool Country. I have sorted out my issues with it and hope to update that soon. I would also like to remind you that I am open to suggestions on how to develop the story faster and make it better. Remember that if I bothered to write an explanation for something (especially if it's a long one) then whatever I am talking about has some import or bearing on the story even if it is not readily apparent._

**THANKS A LOT FOR READING!****DON'T FORGET TO LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK OF IT!**


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